Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Cheesecake Factory pumpkin cheesecake: rich and spiced, perfect for fall and Thanksgiving.
Yield: servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar divided
- 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl. Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter, but not so much as to turn the mixture into paste. Keep it crumbly!
- Put foil up the outer sides of an 8-inch springform pan. Use two layers if you have to, just make sure it is SUPER secure and tight. Otherwise you will end up with a leaky water bath and soggy crust!
- Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the springform pan. You don't want the crust to form all of the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake! Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside until you are ready to fill it.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with an electric mixer until extremely smooth. Do your major beating right now, as beating hard when you add eggs will cause air bubbles to form then and burst during baking, causing a crack.
- Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and beat until smooth. Place the prepared pan into a casserole or other dish and fill with a bit of hot water -- not too much, about 1". Pour the filling into the springform pan.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until center is mostly set but still a bit wobbly--there should be a 2-3" wobbly spot in the center. Let cool to room temperature and then chill thoroughly before serving.
- Remove springform sides when ready to serve. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream (do NOT go near this cheesecake with canned junk!) or a sprinkling of powdered sugar through a metal sieve.
Notes
When filling your water bath, ensure that cheesecake is extremely securely wrapped in foil. Otherwise, water might get into the cheesecake itself and produce a very soggy crust.
Most cheesecakes will take about 3 hours to fully chill.
Always use room temperature cream cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 559cal | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 231mg | Total Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Net Carbs: 43g | Vitamin A: 6215IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1.7mg