Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Caramel Topping

There are so many things to love about this cheesecake, I don’t know where to begin! It’s creamy, lightly spiced with cinnamon, made with from-scratch pumpkin puree and is just the right amount of sweet and tangy. It’s not overwhelmingly pumpkin-y, but is a great combination of all of those flavours and is like a booster version of this classic. The icing on the cheesecake is a caramel sauce combined with roasted pecans, poured all over to make a sweet, nutty, gooey topping. Oooof, so good!!

Many years ago I’d made a pumpkin cheesecake in bar form, but it didn’t quite taste of pumpkin. Largely something you’ll see being made around autumn in the US, particularly for Thanksgiving, I hadn’t even really eaten a pumpkin cheesecake so I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to taste of. It’s usually made with a canned pumpkin puree (Libby’s brand) and you’ll see it all over Instagram in this season. I knew I’d have to try it with a homemade version and maybe the canned version has a stronger flavour and brighter colour, but I’m so glad I did this!!

The flavour isn’t super pumpkin-y as I said, but it’s definitely there. In the presence of stronger flavours like cream cheese, vanilla and cinnamon, the pumpkin is milder. In fact, ‘pumpkin spice’ is a combination of many more spices like ginger, nutmeg and clove, but I went with just cinnamon afraid of muting the pumpkin entirely. And making your own pumpkin puree is really super easy and can be made ahead of time as well.

I’d also seen many pumpkin desserts with pecans and it turns out, adding a caramel pecan topping is very common and a decision I absolutely stand by! The sweetness of the caramel is perfect for the tanginess of the cheesecake, the roasted pecans add so much texture and flavour and it’s absolutely unbelievable.

The cheesecake is creamy, light and sits on a regular biscuit base to which if you want to, you can certainly add some spices. As with all cheesecakes, it’s important to be gentle while making the batter, not over-baking it and letting it chill overnight in the fridge. For the best experience, make the topping just before you serve although if you do it ahead, I have some tips in the recipe for you. I hope you love this as much as I do!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Caramel Topping

Creamy baked cheesecake with homemade pumpkin puree and a roasted pecan and caramel topping

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

Makes: 8 large slices

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Ingredients

  

For the cheesecake

• 1 medium red pumpkin (approx 600 gms to 800 gms, also called disco pumpkin!) or 1 and 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (see notes)
• 250 gms digestive biscuits
• 80 gms melted butter, salted or unsalted
• 500 gms cream cheese, at room temp
• 1/3 cup thick yoghurt or sour cream, at room temp (75 gms)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp caster sugar (60 gms)
• 1/3 cup soft light brown sugar (70 gms)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of cinnamon powder
• 3 eggs, at room temp (see notes)

For the topping

• 3/4th cup pecans (75 gms, walnuts work great too!)
• 4 tbsps butter (55 gms, salted or unsalted)
• 1/2 cup soft brown sugar (106 gms, light or dark)
• 1/4 cup cream (60 ml, whipping cream recommended but regular is ok too)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Make the pumpkin puree in advance, it makes the whole process more efficient. Cut the pumpkin into two halves, remove the seeds and fibres (using your hands is easiest) and place cut-side down on a baking tray lined with foil. Bake in a preheated 200 C oven for about 30 minutes, or until you can easily insert a knife into multiple spots in each piece. Carefully turn the pumpkin halves over and let them cool completely on the baking sheet itself at room temperature. Then use a metal spoon to scoop out all of the cooked pumpkin flesh, leaving just the peel behind.
• Place in a blender or food processor and blitz till smooth. You should have 1 and 1/2 cups of puree, a little more or less is ok depending on the size of the pumpkin but you need at least 1 cup! Transfer to a bowl, cover and store in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month.
• Make the cheesecake. In a food processor fitted with a sharp blade, blitz the biscuits until finely crumbed and sandy in appearance. Pour in the melted butter and let the processor run on low speed until the mixture clumps together when pressed between your fingers. You can also use a blender to biscuits, transfer the crumbs to a bowl, then stir in the melted butter.
• Tip this base mixture into a 9" springform pan and press it down evenly and firmly using the bottom of a measuring up, taking the mixture up to the sides of the pan as well. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 160 C.
• To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth, with a hand mixer on low speed. Then add the yoghurt, sugars, vanilla and cinnamon and beat again until combined.
• Add the pumpkin puree and beat gently to incorporate, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each. It's important not to over-beat the batter because too much air in the batter will cause it to crack (been there!!).
• Pour the filling over the chilled crust and tap the pan gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake for 30 minutes, until you see the edges have slightly puffed up and darkened and the center 2 to 3 inches are still wobbly, but not liquidy. Avoid opening the oven door before this stage. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven itself for 20 minutes, with the oven door now slightly open. Baking a cheesecake too long can also cause it to crack as it cools. Full disclosure, this happened to me with this one for the very first time in all my cheesecake baking adventures. Here to tell you that even if it cracks, it tastes amazing and the pecan topping is there to make everything pretty!
• Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for another two hours and you will see the center has firmed up. Place in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
• Make the topping when you're ready to cut the cheesecake. Place the pecans on an ungreased baking tray and bake for 5 minutes in a 190 C preheated oven until fragrant and toasty. Set aside to cool, then break up the pecans with your hands into smaller pieces. No need to be super precise, the idea is to break them up coarsely so they're easier to slice into.
• Combine the butter, brown sugar and cream in a saucepan on low heat. Stir constantly, letting the butter and sugar melt down and the mixture start to simmer. Let it cook for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes (it will thicken further, so don't let it cool till hardens) then stir in the toasted pecans.
• Let this topping cool for another 10 minutes or so, till it's no longer very hot, then pour over the cheesecake. Slice and dig in while the caramel is gooey! Ideally, make the topping only when you plan to eat, but you can still refrigerate it with the topping, and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating, giving the caramel a chance to soften a bit.
• The cheesecake actually tastes better the next day, the pumpkin flavour deepens although it still isn't dominantly pumpkin, it's a combination of many yummy flavours! Cheesecake must be stored in the fridge at all times in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for about a month. Happy baking!

Notes

*Prep time does not include cooling and chilling time.

*Working with room temperature ingredients is important to prevent cracks in the cheesecake. If your ingredients are cold, you will need to beat them for longer, incorporating too much air into the batter, resulting in cracks as the cheesecake bakes. For the topping, the cream and butter don't need to be at room temperature, but shouldn't be straight from the fridge either. Keep them out for about 20 minutes before adding to the pan.

*If you happen to skip the topping (please don't!!), the cheesecake is still yum, but will likely need a few more tablespoons of sugar in the batter.

*You can make the pumpkin puree on the stove top as well, but that involves peeling, chopping and then boiling or pressure-cooking the pumpkin until soft. The oven is a lot more hands-off and also gives a nicer flavour to the pumpkin so I went with what Alton Brown said!

*Most American recipes use canned pumpkin puree that comes in a 430 gms can. I measured the puree I made and it came to about 400 gms, with 1 cup being 260 gms. King Arthur Baking has a smaller measurement for 1 cup at 227 gms. Some differences are to be expected between various measurement charts, varieties of pumpkin, and fresh vs canned pumpkin. All this is to say, if your 1 and 1/2 cups for this recipe is a few grams here or there, it's ok. And if you generally use canned puree and don't want leftovers, a whole can here will be fine too!

*Adapted from this New York Cheesecake, topping from Spicy Southern Kitchen 

*Here is my eggless baked cheesecake which also has a mango version that I think could work with pumpkin. Please keep in mind I haven't tried it that way myself and can't guarantee the result.

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