Indulge in a Smooth Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Maple Pecan Brittle

Velvety, spiced and perfectly sweetened, this pumpkin cheesecake is a celebration of autumnal comfort. I avoid prepared pumpkin – the taste is bland and thin – so I recommend to roast your own pumpkin. The oven’s heat enhances the inherent sugars while evaporating unwanted water, yielding a rich, tasty base that gives the cheesecake real depth. Golden nut brittle adds the perfect finish: toasty, flavorful and offering a satisfying crisp against the velvety texture.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping

For the pumpkin base, dice 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin in sections, cook, with a cover, in a hot oven until soft but not browned. Blend in a high-speed blender.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hr
Chill overnight
Serves 8-10

For the Base

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• 70g unsalted butter, liquefied, with more for the tin
• a pinch of salt

Creamy Layer

• soft cheese
• fine sugar
• orange zest
• homemade puree (prepared earlier)
• thickener
• cinnamon spice
• ginger powder
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• hint of cloves
• room-temperature eggs, warmed slightly
• 100ml soured cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pecan Garnish

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• fine sugar
• 90g pecans, roughly chopped
• a pinch of salt
• heavy cream

Heat the oven at a moderate heat coat the bottom and edges using a cake tin. In a food processor the ginger nuts to fine crumbs, transfer to a mixing bowl. Mix in the salty butter, combine coating the crumbs. Tip into the greased tin, compact it well, heat until set, then remove and leave to cool.

Turn down the setting to 355F. In the meantime, place the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix with the paddle attachment at a gentle pace until well blended. Add the spiced pumpkin mix, then mix gently until incorporated. Mix in eggs one at a time, incorporating fully one by one, follow with the tangy cream and flavoring, and beat until fully incorporated.

Pour the spiced cream on to the prepared crust even the surface using a spatula. Lightly tap the pan on a surface to dispel any air bubbles, then cook the cheesecake on the middle rack until set until the sides are firm and the centre is slightly wobbly. Stop baking, crack the door open and let it cool down for one hour. When cooled, cool in the fridge (and up to three days), until firm.

In the meantime, make the pecan brittle (in advance). Heat the oven to 410F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Mix the maple syrup and sugar over heat mixing over a low heat briefly. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, take off the stove transfer to the sheet. Bake for about eight minutes, until crisp, take out and cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces keeping in a container chilled.

Remove the dessert from the pan move to a plate. Beat the cream to soft peaks, then add over the center with a clear edge. Add the crunchy bits over the top, offering more on the side.