Discover this Silky Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Maple Pecans

Smooth, aromatic and not overly sugary, this delightful dessert is a celebration of harvest warmth. I’m not a fan of canned puree – it lacks depth and flavor – so I prefer baking your own pumpkin. Baking brings out the sweet flavor removing extra liquid, yielding a smooth, flavourful puree which adds real depth. The maple pecan brittle completes the dessert: toasty, flavorful and with just the right amount of crunch complementing the velvety texture.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle

For the pumpkin base, chop a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, cook, lightly covered, at 200C (180C fan) until soft but not browned. Blend using a powerful blender.

Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Cool 1 hour
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves about 10 people

For the Base

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• rich butter, softened, with more for the tin
• a pinch of salt

For the Filling

• 500g cream cheese
• 150g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• homemade puree (see introduction)
• thickener
• aromatic cinnamon
• ginger powder
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• clove spice
• room-temperature eggs, warmed slightly
• tangy cream
• pure vanilla

For the Maple Pecan Brittle Topping

• maple sweetener
• sugar
• nut pieces, coarsely cut
• sea salt flakes
• whipping cream

Heat the oven to 365F and lightly grease the entire interior with a springform pan. In a food processor the cookies until crumbly, place in a mixing bowl. Mix in the melted butter and salt, stir until moistened. Place in the prepared pan, compact it well, heat until set, take out and cool.

Reduce the setting to 175C (155C fan). Meanwhile, place the base ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip on low speed on medium-low to a creamy texture. Incorporate the spiced pumpkin mix, blend gently until incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one, next include the tangy cream and flavoring, mix until combined.

Transfer the pumpkin filling on to the cooled biscuit base level it out using a spatula. Lightly tap the pan on a worktop to remove bubbles, then bake the dessert on the middle rack for 45 minutes with set edges and a soft center. Stop baking, keep the oven slightly open and leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour. Once it’s at room temperature, chill for at least six hours (or longer), until completely set.

Meanwhile, prepare the brittle (ahead of time). Preheat the oven to 410F and line a small oven tray using liner. Mix the maple syrup and sugar in a small saucepan and heat slowly over a low heat until dissolved. Mix the chopped pecans, stop heating transfer to the sheet. Heat until golden, until golden and bubbly, then remove and leave to cool. When fully hardened, break into chunks place in a sealed jar chilled.

Open the cheesecake from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream until fluffy, then place into the middle of the cheesecake leaving space around. Add the crunchy bits on top, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.