Indulge in a Silky Autumn Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans
Smooth, aromatic and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat embodies autumnal comfort. I’m not a fan of prepared pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting fresh squash varieties. The oven’s heat enhances the inherent sugars and reduces unwanted water, resulting in a deep, aromatic mash imparting genuine complexity. Golden nut brittle provides the final flourish: golden, nutty and with just the right amount of crunch against the velvety texture.
Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping
For 200g pumpkin puree, cut fresh pumpkin pieces in sections, cook, lightly covered, in a hot oven cooked through but not colored. Puree using a powerful blender.
Prep 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hour
Chill overnight
Serves 8 to 10
For the Base
- 200g ginger nut biscuits
- 70g unsalted butter, softened, and some for coating
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Creamy Layer
- 500g cream cheese
- 150g caster sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- 200g pumpkin puree (as described above)
- thickener
- cinnamon spice
- warm ginger
- freshly grated nutmeg
- clove spice
- fresh eggs, at room temperature
- 100ml soured cream
- pure vanilla
Pecan Garnish
- maple sweetener
- sugar
- chopped pecans, roughly chopped
- sea salt flakes
- whipping cream
Preheat your oven to 365F then butter the entire interior using a cake tin. In a food processor the ginger nuts until crumbly, then tip into a container. Add the melted butter and salt, combine until moistened. Tip into the prepared pan, compact it well, heat until set, set aside to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 355F. Meanwhile, add the base ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix on low speed slowly to a creamy texture. Mix in the spiced pumpkin mix, then mix on medium-low until combined. Mix in eggs individually, beating in well one by one, follow with the tangy cream and flavoring, mix until fully incorporated.
Transfer the spiced cream on to the set base level it out with a small spatula. Give it a gentle shake on the counter to remove bubbles, then cook the cake in the middle of the oven until set until the sides are firm with a jiggly middle. Turn off the oven, keep the oven slightly open allowing it to cool for 60 minutes. When cooled, cool in the fridge (or for days), until firm.
In the meantime, prepare the brittle (up to three days ahead). Heat the oven to 410F and prepare a baking sheet using liner. Stir together the maple syrup and sugar in a pot and stir gently gently until dissolved. Mix the nuts and salt, take off the stove and scrape into the lined tray. Heat until golden, until crisp, take out and cool. When fully hardened, cut roughly keeping in an airtight container in the freezer.
Release the cheesecake from the pan place on a serving dish. Beat the cream to a light consistency, then add over the center leaving space around. Sprinkle the brittle over the top, with additional brittle for serving.
