Burnt pumpkin cheesecake

  • Portion size: Serves 12-14
  • Hands-on time 20 min, plus cooling and chilling (ideally overnight)
  • Difficulty: easy

Our autumnal take on burnt cheesecake uses pumpkin purée and cream cheese for a silky, creamy filling. Serve with whipped cream and cinnamon.

Try our five-ingredient cult favourite, Basque burnt cheesecake, too.

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Ingredients

  • 700g full-fat cream cheese
  • 300g pumpkin purée (see tip)
  • 4 medium free-range eggs, plus 3 medium yolks, lightly beaten
  • 300ml double cream, plus extra, lightly whipped, to serve (optional)
  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve (optional)
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

You’ll also need

  • Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
  • 22cm springform or loose-bottomed cake tin lined with 2 strips of baking paper in a cross with 5cm overhang
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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200ºC fan/gas 7. Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until smooth (see Know How). Scrape down the sides, then add the pumpkin purée and beat until combined.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each, then add the yolks. Scrape down the sides, then slowly add the cream until fully incorporated. Add the sugar, maple syrup, flours, vanilla, orange, salt and spices, then mix again on low until well combined.
  3. Push the mixture through a fine sieve into the prepared tin. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the cheesecake has a deep burnished tan colour and retains a bit of a wobble in the middle. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then chill (ideally overnight) before turning out onto a serving plate.
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  5. Serve the cheesecake with lightly whipped cream, dusted with extra cinnamon if you like.

Nutrition

  • 348kcals Calories
  • 25.2g (15.2g saturated) Fat
  • 6.4g Protein
  • 23.6g (18.9g sugars) Carbs
  • 0.7g Fibre
  • 0.8g Salt

Quick wins & tips

To make pumpkin puree:  Heat oven to 150ºC fan/gas 3½. Cut a pumpkin into quarters or several butternut squash in half (you’ll end up with about 600g purée for every 1kg pumpkin/squash). Scrape out the seeds, then lay cut-side up on a large lipped baking tray lined with compostable baking paper. Roast for 2 hours until the skin is wrinkled and the flesh very soft. Set aside to cool, then scrape the flesh off the skin (discard the skin) and whizz in a food processor or blender until smooth. If using in baking or for a filling where you don’t want it too wet, tip the purée into a pan and cook over a low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until thickened and slightly reduced (this dries it). Cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Make Ahead

The cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Cook smarter

The key to a silky-smooth texture, without cracks, is to work with room temperature ingredients and mix on a low speed so everything blends without taking in too much air. The cheesecake should still have a wobble in the centre when it finishes cooking. It’ll firm up as it cools.

The water content in the pumpkin purée will also affect the texture, so when preparing the purée you want to cook off as much water as possible. This will also help to concentrate the pumpkin flavour.

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