YIELD: 1 (9-INCH) PIE PAN / 12 SERVINGS
While in Chicago to portray the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Eartha Kitt celebrated a birthday. So naturally, we made her a pumpkin cheesecake and presented it to her on stage.
Eli’s baked up a giant pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving and presented it in the beautiful lobby of the State of Illinois Building. In the photo, Governor Jim Thompson holds up Kori Schulman and Marc holds her sister Haley, showing off the scale of the cake.
Come fall, America goes pumpkin crazy…pumpkin lattes, pumpkin ice cream, even pumpkin bagels! As far as desserts go, this delicious custardy pumpkin cheesecake can’t be beat. Once, we baked a giant 1,000-pound version of this cake and served it to the public in the lobby of the State of Illinois Building.
Some Thanksgivings, I change things up by baking the batter in individual ramekins. After removing the ramekins from the refrigerator, just before serving, I sprinkle each one with sugar and torch for a crunchy brulée top.
Family-owned Stahlbush Island Farms in Oregon supplies our pumpkin purée, but canned pumpkin works well in this recipe. Be sure to buy canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling…that’s something different altogether.
Shopping List
FOR THE CINNAMON GRAHAM CRUMB CRUST:
2 cups (16 ounces) finely ground graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg white
FOR THE PUMPKIN BATTER:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cake flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
2 large whole eggs, room temperature
¾ cup canned pumpkin
⅓ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Prepare the Cinnamon Graham Crumb Crust (see recipe variation on p. 117) in a 9-inch pie pan. Follow the recipe as directed.
2. Prepare the Pumpkin batter (see recipe on p. 101). Follow the recipe as directed.
3. Preheat the oven to 280°F. Fill the fluted tart pan with the Pumpkin batter.
4. Place the fluted tart pan in the center of the oven, directly on the middle shelf. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is slightly firm to the touch (this is a shallow cake, so it shouldn’t jiggle much). Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
5. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to completely set before serving.
6. Transfer to the freezer for 2 to 3 hours before slicing.
7. Slice the cake with a thin, nonserrated knife that is dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice. Serve immediately or store in the freezer well wrapped for up to 3 months.
For a different twist, substitute cooked sweet potatoes or cooked butternut squash for the canned pumpkin.
