Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake: A New Twist on an Old Favorite

As I have professed on this blog many, many, many times before, I love all things pumpkin.  So, as you might imagine, Thanksgiving, with its focus on pumpkin-filled desserts and fall flavors, is one of my favorite holidays.  This year my in-laws hosted, so I got off easy on the cooking duties.  I offered to bring the dessert and they asked me to bring a pumpkin pie.  Although I do love a classic pumpkin pie, sometimes even I want to switch things up a bit.

Enter the spiced pumpkin cheesecake.  It combines two classic desserts into one impossibly light and fluffy confection that is sure to be a hit at any holiday dinner.  It was so good that no one even missed the pumpkin pie. 

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake (Adapted from epicurious.com)

Crust

9 whole graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 stick of butter, melted

Filling

4 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Wrap double layer of foil around a 10 inch springform pan:

To make the crust, combine graham crackers, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground.  Drizzle melted butter over the mixture:

Pulse the food processor repeatedly until the crumbs begin to stick together.  Pour crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan and press onto the bottom of the pan to form a single layer:

Bake until crust is slightly golden (approximately 10 minutes).  Transfer to wire rack and cool while preparing the filling (do not turn oven off).

To prepare the filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy:

Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add remaining ingredients (pumpkin, whipping cream, vanilla extract, and all spices) and beat just until blended:

Pour filling into prepared crust:

Place springform pan in large baking pan and add just enough water to the baking pan to come half way up the sides of the pan:

Bake cheesecake for 90 minutes (the top of the cheesecake should be golden, as pictured at the top of the page).  Transfer to a wire rack and cool, then cover, refrigerate, and allow to cool completely overnight. 

Remove the sides of the springform pan before cutting and serving the cake.