Pumpkin Cheesecake (CS)

By hmp13

Ingredients

• Graham cracker crust:
• Makes one 10-inch cake
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 stick butter, melted
• Cheesecake batter:
• 1 1/2 cups (3 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• Pinch of ginger
• Pinch of cloves
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 large eggs

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the crust: mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter until all the ingredients are well mixed. Turn the crust mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly over the bottom (but not up the sides). Press down firmly to form a crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and, let cool, while you start on the cheesecake batter. Turn down the oven temperature to 325.

Make the batter: in the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla and spices until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree and heavy cream and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Assemble the cheesecake: pour the batter over the baked crust. Bake for 1 hour in a water bath. Turn off the oven, prop open the oven door, and allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from oven and cool completely in the fridge overnight. Cut with a hot knife and serve.

Note: To make a water bath, use any roasting pan that is large enough to hold the pan in which you are baking. Try a roasting pan with two handles. It’s a good idea to wrap your springform pan in heavy duty foil before adding water to the roasting pan. Use hot tap water for the bath and make sure the water level is at least 1 inch up the sides of the pan but not so high that water will splash into the springform.