Discover a Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans

Velvety, flavorful and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat captures autumnal comfort. I avoid prepared pumpkin – it lacks depth and flavor – so I prefer to roast some butternut or Kent squash. The oven’s heat enhances the inherent sugars while evaporating excess moisture, resulting in a deep, aromatic mash which adds authentic character. Golden nut brittle provides the final flourish: golden, nutty and providing a textural contrast against the cheesecake’s creamy softness.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

Prepare about one cup of puree, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin into chunks, cook, lightly covered, at 390F cooked through but not colored. Puree in a high-speed blender.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 60 minutes
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves about 10 people

Base Ingredients

• spiced biscuits
• rich butter, melted, and some for coating
• sea salt

Creamy Layer

• full-fat cream cheese
• fine sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 200g pumpkin puree (prepared earlier)
• cornstarch
• aromatic cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• fresh eggs, not cold
• sour cream
• pure vanilla

For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• fine sugar
• chopped pecans, roughly chopped
• a pinch of salt
• 150ml double cream

Set the oven to 365F then butter the entire interior using a cake tin. In a food processor the biscuits into crumbs, place in a container. Incorporate the melted butter and salt, combine so the crumbs are evenly damp. Transfer to the greased tin, press down firmly, cook briefly, take out and cool.

Reduce the setting to a lower temp. Meanwhile, add the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, mix on low speed at a gentle pace until smooth and creamy. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, blend at low speed until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating fully one by one, then add the cream and extract, and beat until smooth.

Scoop the pumpkin filling onto the set base even the surface with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on the counter to dispel any air bubbles, then bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes with set edges and the centre is slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, crack the door open allowing it to cool for 60 minutes. Once it’s at room temperature, cool in the fridge (and up to three days), until completely set.

Meanwhile, prepare the brittle (ahead of time). Heat the oven to 210C (190C fan) and line a small oven tray with baking paper. Stir together the syrup and sweetener in a pot mixing gently for about a minute. Add in the chopped pecans, take off the stove transfer to the sheet. Heat until golden, until crisp, set aside. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces keeping in a container chilled.

Release the dessert from the pan move to a plate. Whip the cream to a light consistency, then place into the middle of the cheesecake leaving a 3-4cm border. Scatter most of the pecan brittle on top, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.