Indulge in this Smooth Autumn Cheesecake featuring Crunchy Maple Pecans

Smooth, spiced and just sweet enough, this delightful dessert captures autumnal comfort. I avoid prepared pumpkin – the taste is bland and thin – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting your own pumpkin. Baking coaxes out the inherent sugars and reduces excess moisture, producing a deep, aromatic mash imparting genuine complexity. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: caramelized, rich and with just the right amount of crunch to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

For the pumpkin base, chop 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin in sections, then roast, with a cover, at 200C (180C fan) until soft but not browned. Puree using a powerful blender.

Prep 10 min
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hr
Chill overnight
Serves 8-10

Crumb Crust

• gingersnap cookies
• rich butter, liquefied, and some for coating
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

For the Filling

• soft cheese
• fine sugar
• orange zest
• 200g pumpkin puree (see introduction)
• thickener
• cinnamon spice
• warm ginger
• freshly grated nutmeg
• clove spice
• room-temperature eggs, warmed slightly
• sour cream
• pure vanilla

Crunchy Finish

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• sugar
• nut pieces, in chunks
• 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
• whipping cream

Preheat your oven to 365F coat the base and sides with a springform pan. In a food processor the ginger nuts until crumbly, transfer to a container. Incorporate the melted butter and salt, combine coating the crumbs. Transfer to the greased tin, press down firmly, bake for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to a lower temp. Meanwhile, add the cheese, sweetener, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, then beat with the paddle attachment at a gentle pace to a creamy texture. Mix in the puree, thickener, and seasonings, and beat at low speed until incorporated. Introduce the eggs separately, mixing thoroughly between each addition, then add the cream and extract, and beat until combined.

Transfer the pumpkin filling onto the set base and smooth the top with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on a worktop to release trapped air, then cook the cheesecake in the middle of the oven until set with set edges with a jiggly middle. Stop baking, leave the door ajar and let it cool down for an hour. Once it’s at room temperature, chill for at least six hours (or for days), until firm.

In the meantime, create the topping (ahead of time). Preheat the oven to 210C (190C fan) and prepare a baking sheet using liner. Stir together the syrup and sweetener over heat and heat slowly gently until dissolved. Add in the nuts and salt, then remove from the heat and scrape into the lined tray. Heat until golden, until caramelized, take out and cool. When fully hardened, chop into irregular pieces keeping in a container chilled.

Remove the cheesecake from its tin place on a serving dish. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then spoon over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Add the crunchy bits across the surface, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.