Discover a Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake featuring Maple Pecan Brittle

Silky, spiced and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat is a celebration of harvest warmth. I skip prepared pumpkin – it lacks depth and flavor – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting fresh squash varieties. Baking enhances the inherent sugars removing unwanted water, producing a deep, aromatic mash that gives the cheesecake genuine complexity. Golden nut brittle adds the perfect finish: golden, nutty and providing a textural contrast against the velvety texture.

Autumn Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping

To make about one cup of puree, dice fresh pumpkin pieces into cubes, bake, loosely covered, at 390F until soft but not browned. Blend until smooth.

Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hr
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8-10

Crumb Crust

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• melted butter, liquefied, and some for coating
• sea salt

For the Filling

• 500g cream cheese
• 150g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• homemade puree (see introduction)
• 2 tsp cornflour
• cinnamon spice
• warm ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• hint of cloves
• room-temperature eggs, not cold
• sour cream
• pure vanilla

Crunchy Finish

• maple sweetener
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 90g pecans, in chunks
• sea salt flakes
• 150ml double cream

Heat the oven to 365F and lightly grease the entire interior with a springform pan. In a food processor the biscuits to fine crumbs, transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the butter and salt, and mix until moistened. Transfer to the greased tin, compact it well, heat until set, take out and cool.

Reduce the setting to 355F. In the meantime, place the cheese, sweetener, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip on low speed slowly until smooth and creamy. Add the puree, thickener, and seasonings, blend gently until combined. Mix in eggs one at a time, beating in well after each one, next include the soured cream and vanilla, whip until fully incorporated.

Pour the pumpkin filling over the prepared crust even the surface with a tool. Give it a gentle shake on a surface to dispel any air bubbles, then cook the cheesecake centered in the oven for 45 minutes with set edges and a soft center. Stop baking, crack the door open and let it cool down for an hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or longer), until firm.

In the meantime, create the topping (up to three days ahead). Heat the oven to a high temperature and line a small oven tray using liner. Stir together the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir gently gently until dissolved. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, take off the stove and scrape into the lined tray. Heat until golden, until golden and bubbly, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, chop into irregular pieces and store in a container frozen.

Remove the dessert from the springform and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream until fluffy, then place over the center leaving a 3-4cm border. Scatter most of the pecan brittle across the surface, with additional brittle for serving.