Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake

It’s that time of year again, pumpkin season!  You can get nearly everything pumpkin flavored – tea, coffee, desserts, beer and even wine. Disneyland is joining in on plenty of pumpkin options including pumpkin beignets, pumpkin twists, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin-shaped sourdough (ok, not pumpkin flavored), pumpkin pie and this dish… pumpkin cheesecake.

This fall, at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta, Jolly Holiday Bakery Café and French Market, guests can enjoy a delicious pumpkin cheesecake. With this recipe, you can make this 9-inch cheesecake at home!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/3 cup butter-melted

Cheesecake Filling
3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
15-ounce can pumpkin purée
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
5-ounce can evaporated milk
Chocolate syrup, for drizzling

For crust:

1. In a bowl combine the crushed graham cracker, sugar and ginger. Melt the butter and stir into mixture.
2. Spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan using your hands.
3. Place pan on a large piece of foil and wrap foil tightly up sides and around pan.

For cheesecake filling:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Beat cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scrape down sides of bowl.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl.
4. Whisk together pumpkin purée, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl until well combined. Add pumpkin mixture to cream cheese mixture, beating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add evaporated milk, mixing well.
5. Slowly pour cheesecake filling onto crust mixture in prepared pan. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.
6. Place foil-wrapped pan inside a larger roasting pan. Place oven rack and carefully add enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of springform pan.
7. Bake 1 hour, or until center moves only slightly when shaken.
8. Turn oven off. Crack open oven door, and allow cheesecake to cool inside oven 1 hour.
9. Remove pan from water bath and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Cover top of pan with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Cook’s Notes: Wrapping foil around springform pan prevents water from the water bath from getting into the cheesecake. The slow cooling inside the oven prevents cheesecake top from cracking.