I think we can all agree, there’s just nothing like Mom’s home cookin’. It just tastes better, doesn’t it? For that reason I’ve asked my Mom to submit some of her favorite recipes for me to share with y’all each Monday. Let’s get cooking in the kitchen with Mom!
And we’re back! Mom took a small vacation these past few weeks, but I promise – this week’s recipe makes up for the hiatus. We’re prepping for Thanksgiving, so Mom decided this week’s recipe should be her famous Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake, which we like to make in advance and freeze. If you’re a fan of pumpkin pie and/or cheesecake, this dessert is for you. I find many pumpkin cheesecakes can be a tad on the conservative side taste wise, but not this one. No, this one is packed with tons of pumpkin spice goodness which plays perfectly off the gingersnap crust and it.is.decadent. And divine! I just love it – and I hope you will too!
- About 40 gingersnap wafers (to yield 2 cups cookie crumbs)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Four 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1⅓ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
- ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. table salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
- One 15 oz. can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- Whipped cream, for serving
- Position your rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- To make the crust, pulse the cookies and brown sugar in a food processor until well combined and finely ground.
- Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl and add the melted butter.
- Combine thoroughly until the mixture is evenly moist, crumbly, and holds together when you press it together.
- Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Chill for 5 minutes and then bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.
- To make the filling, put a kettle or pan of water on to boil.
- While waiting for the water to heat, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and salt.
- Add this mixture to the cream cheese.
- Beat until well blended, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, making sure each is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next, and scraping down the bowl after each.
- Blend in the vanilla and pumpkin thoroughly.
- Scrape the batter into the cooled crust.
- The batter will come up past the crust and will fill the pan almost to the rim. Rap the pan gently once or twice on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Set the pan in a large baking dish and add enough hot water from the kettle to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
- Bake until the top of the cake looks deep golden and burnished and the center is set (the cake may just barely begin to crack), 1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. The cake will jiggle a little bit when tapped. The top may rise a bit but will settle as it cools.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a thin-bladed knife between the crust and the pan sides (this will prevent the cake from breaking as it cools).
- Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack.
- Cover and chill overnight before serving.
- Serve with a dollop of your favorite whipped cream.
- Enjoy!
I’ve always had this question regarding springform pans. How do you manage to get the cheesecake off the bottom of the pan and onto a plate without messing up the cake? Also, what is the purpose of putting water in the pan? I can’t wait to try this recipe. It looks and “tastes” delicious!
I had to refer to the chef herself, and here is her response!
Hi, Lori: The easiest thing to do is to simply leave the cheesecake on the bottom of the springform pan. After the cheesecake has been refrigerated overnight and you’re ready to serve it, simply remove the outer ring of the pan and place the cheesecake on your serving dish. Leaving it on the bottom of the pan also makes it easier to slice and serve. As for the water bath, it is supposed to help with cracking. I find this recipe still tends to crack along the outer edges as it rises quite a bit during baking, but it does help eliminate those cracks in the interior. If the idea of placing the pan into water bothers you, you can simply place a pan of hot water on a lower rack of the oven directly under the cheesecake, which is what I usually do. Hope this helps.