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The Perfect Pumpkin Cheesecake with homemade Pumpkin Puree

My baking method is foolproof and will guarantee that your cheesecake doesn't crack - you just need to follow the steps, be patient and your pumpkin cheesecake will thank you.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cheesecake, fall-season, oven-baked
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Calories 400kcal

Equipment

  • Hand mixer
  • 18cm (7 inch) springform pan
  • Food processor (optional but recommended for speed)

Ingredients

Cookie Crust

  • 150 grams graham crackers or butter biscuits
  • 12 grams (3 tsp) brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 45 grams (3 tbsp) butter melted

The Filling

  • 525 grams ( 2 ¾ cups) cream cheese at room temperature
  • 170 grams (¾ cup 1tbsp) sour cream at room temperature
  • 100 grams (¾ cup) white sugar or sweetener equivalent
  • 100 grams (¾ cup) dark brown sugar
  • 1.4 tsp salt
  • 2 medium-sized eggs at room temperature
  • 170 grams (¾ cup 1tbsp) pumpkin puree homemade or store-bought
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice mix make your own, recipe bellow
  • 10 grams (1 ½ tsp) flour

Stabilized Whipped Cream

  • 30 grams (¼ cup) mascarpone
  • 100ml (½ cup) heavy cream
  • 1 tsp icing sugar

Instructions

Homemade Pumpkin Puree (skip this if you're using store-bought)

  • Start by preheating your oven at 180°C / 360°F
  • Take a small sugar pumpkin, cut it first in half and remove all the seeds and innards. Then cut each half again in two.
  • Place the 4 pieces in an oven tray lined with parchment paper and add them in the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until it's easily pierced with a knife (this will make it very easy to mash)
    Once done, take it out and let it cool off for 5 minutes or until it can be handled.
  • Remove the skin, place it in a bowl and mash it using a potato masher. Alternatively you could use a food processor if you don't mind cleaning it after :)
    Place the pumpkin puree in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to three weeks.
    It also freezes well and lasts for 5 months, to defrost it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge.

Cookie Crust

  • Start by melting the butter in the microwave and preheating your oven at 160°C / 325°F
  • Place the cookies in a food processor and run it on maximum speed until they're all crushed up.
    Add the cinnamon, sugar and salt, start running the food processor again and pour in the melted butter and let it run until it's all combined.
    Test that the cookies stick to each other, if not add an additional tbsp of melted butter.
    Place them in the spring form pan and press it in with a flat object (I like using a glass)
    Leave an edge going about two thirds up the walls of the pan.
    Place it in the preheated 160°C / 325°F oven for 10 minutes
    Then take it out and let it cool off while you're preparing the filling.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

  • Place in a bowl the room temperature cream cheese and the sour cream. Mix them together with the hand mixer until creamy and well combined.
  • Add the salt, white sugar and, while running the mixer add the dark brown sugar - add it slowly so that it doesn't clump up and gets evenly combined.
  • Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and pumpkin spice mix and mix them all in with the hand mixer
  • From now on switch to a whisk and add in the eggs one at a time - careful not to over whisk it, just enough to incorporate them in
  • While whisking sift in the flour. Once it's combined bring the pan and we'll prepare it for baking
  • If you turned off your oven now is a good time to preheat it back to 160°C / 325°F - same temperature we used for the crust.
  • This cheesecake is baked using a water bath so to keep the crust dry place it in an oven roasting bag - these are 100% safe to use and there's zero risk of water seeping into the crust. Roll it up until the edge of the springform pan
    Now place inside a larger pan that we'll going to fill with boiling water when we put it in the oven.
  • Now pour in the filling, tap the pan to the counter a couple of times as well as use spatula to lightly tap the filling on top until it looks smooth - this will eliminate any big air bubbles trapped inside that might cause it to crack when baking.
  • Now place the pan inside the oven, pour in boiling water until it reaches halfway up the springform pan and let it bake for 60 minutes
  • Once done, turn off the oven and let it first cool off with the door slightly open for 60 minutes. 10 minutes into it run a silicone spatula or the dull side of a knife all around the edges of the pan - this is done to ensure it won't get stuck to the pan.
    After the 60 minutes, take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it cool off completely at room temperature then cover it with a paper towel and cling film and let it chill in the fridge overnight.

Stabilized whipped cream

  • For this add all the ingredients in a bowl, whip it until you get stiff peaks.
  • Now add it in a piping bag and decorate with peaks of it on the edges of the cheesecake
  • Top them with more pumpkin spice and you're ready to serve, Enjoy!

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