The combination of pumpkin and cream cheese makes every bite of this cheesecake unforgettably delicious and worthy of any celebration, especially Thanksgiving. Even if you’ve never made a cheesecake or pumpkin pie, this is a dessert that’s within reach.
How to make a Deeply Pumpkiny Pumpkin Cheesecake?
Ingredients
Crust
- 3-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan
- 1-3/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling
- 5 pound kabocha squash, halved with a cleaver
- 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 14 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup whipped cream, at room temperature
Topping
- ½ cup crème fraîche, lightly whipped
- 2 tablespoons very finely ground pistachios
Directions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan. Line the pan with two overlapping strips of parchment paper that are the same width as the bottom of the pan and long enough to cover the bottom and sides with a 2-inch overhang on all four sides. Butter the bottom sheet of parchment paper to secure the top sheet.
- To make the crust, in a medium bowl, stir the butter, crumbs, and cinnamon with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down with the back of a spoon to form an even layer, only on the bottom. Bake until done, about 12 minutes.
- Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Leave the oven on.
- To make the filling, discard the pumpkin seeds and stringy fibers in the cavity. Cut the pumpkin into 3-inch pieces (no need to peel). Place them in a roasting tin and cover them tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until squash is tender when pierced, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Let cool and scoop out the flesh
from the skin. - Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- Puree the pumpkin in a food processor until completely smooth. Pass the puree through a food mill fitted with a fine disc. Measure out 1-1/2 cups of puree and reserve the rest for another use. (Pumpkin soup?)
- Place the puree in a bowl and stir in the sugar and vanilla.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until blended, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and cream and beat on low speed until combined, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Fill a tea kettle with water and bring to the boil.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Place the pan in a large roasting pan and place it on the oven rack. Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the pie pan. Bake until the center of the cheesecake jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, open the door slightly with a wooden spoon and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour.
- Carefully remove the pan from the water bath and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, poke holes in the foil to prevent condensation and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.
- To serve, using the parchment overhang as handles, lift the cheesecake from the pan and place it on a cutting board. Cut the cheesecake in half and cut each half into 4 or 5 rectangles. Transfer the pieces to a serving plate.
- Insert a piping bag with a medium closed 7-point star tip (Ateco #846). Fill with crème fraîche and pipe a star on each rectangle.
- Sprinkle the ground pistachios over the stars and serve.