SERVES 12 TO 16
Make sure to buy unsweetened canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is preseasoned and sweetened. This cheesecake is good on its own, but Brown Sugar and Bourbon Whipped Cream is a great addition. When cutting the cake, have a pitcher of hot tap water nearby; dipping the blade of the knife into the water and wiping it clean with a dish towel after each cut helps make neat slices. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
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CRUST |
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9 |
whole graham crackers, broken into rough pieces |
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3 |
tablespoons sugar |
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½ |
teaspoon ground ginger |
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½ |
teaspoon ground cinnamon |
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¼ |
teaspoon ground cloves |
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6 |
tablespoons unsalted butter, melted |
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FILLING |
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1⅓ |
cups (10⅓ ounces) sugar |
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1 |
teaspoon ground cinnamon |
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½ |
teaspoon ground ginger |
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¼ |
teaspoon ground nutmeg |
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¼ |
teaspoon ground cloves |
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¼ |
teaspoon allspice |
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½ |
teaspoon salt |
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1 |
(15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree |
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1½ |
pounds cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks and softened |
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1 |
tablespoon vanilla extract |
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1 |
tablespoon lemon juice |
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5 |
large eggs, room temperature |
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1 |
cup heavy cream |
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1 |
tablespoon unsalted butter, melted |
1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse crackers, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in food processor until crackers are finely ground, about 15 pulses. Transfer crumbs to medium bowl, drizzle with melted butter, and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Empty crumbs into 9-inch springform pan and, using bottom of ramekin or dry measuring cup, press crumbs firmly and evenly into pan bottom, keeping sides as clean as possible. Bake crust until fragrant and browned around edges, about 15 minutes. Let crust cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes. When cool, wrap outside of pan with two 18-inch square pieces heavy-duty aluminum foil and set springform pan in roasting pan. Bring kettle of water to boil.
2. FOR THE FILLING: Whisk sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Spread pumpkin on paper towels in roughly even layer and pat puree with several layers of paper towels to wick away moisture.
3. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat cream cheese on medium speed, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl, then beat in sugar mixture in 3 additions on medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl after each addition. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat on medium speed until combined, about 45 seconds; scrape down bowl. Reduce speed to medium-low, add eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, add heavy cream, and beat until combined, about 45 seconds. Give filling final stir by hand.
4. Being careful not to disturb baked crust, brush inside of pan with melted butter. Pour filling into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake cake until center is slightly wobbly when pan is shaken and cake registers 150 degrees, about 1½ hours. Set roasting pan on wire rack then run paring knife around cake. Let cake cool in roasting pan until water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath, discard foil, and set on wire rack; continue to let cool until barely warm, about 3 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.
5. To unmold cheesecake, wrap hot dish towel around pan and let stand for 1 minute. Remove sides of pan. Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving platter. Let cheesecake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. (Cheesecake can be made up to 3 days in advance; however, the crust will begin to lose its crispness after only 1 day.)