Indulge in a Silky Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Maple Pecans

Velvety, flavorful and not overly sugary, this pumpkin cheesecake embodies harvest warmth. I avoid canned puree – the taste is bland and thin – so I’ve taken the extra step of roasting fresh squash varieties. Roasting brings out the inherent sugars while evaporating extra liquid, yielding a smooth, flavourful puree imparting real depth. A crunchy pecan topping completes the dessert: toasty, flavorful and providing a textural contrast complementing the cheesecake’s creamy softness.

Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle

Prepare 200g pumpkin puree, cut 350-400g peeled, deseeded pumpkin in sections, then roast, lightly covered, at 390F cooked through but not colored. Puree until smooth.

Prep a brief 10 minutes
Cook 1 hour 45 minutes
Cool 60 minutes
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8 to 10

For the Base

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

Creamy Layer

• soft cheese
• white sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• squash mash (prepared earlier)
• cornstarch
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• warm ginger
• freshly grated nutmeg
• clove spice
• room-temperature eggs, warmed slightly
• sour cream
• pure vanilla

Crunchy Finish

• pure maple syrup
• sugar
• 90g pecans, roughly chopped
• a pinch of salt
• whipping cream

Preheat your oven to 365F then butter the entire interior using a cake tin. In a food processor the ginger nuts to fine crumbs, transfer to a medium bowl. Incorporate the butter and salt, combine until moistened. Place in the greased tin, compact it well, heat until set, then remove and leave to cool.

Turn down the setting to a lower temp. Meanwhile, put the base ingredients into a mixer bowl, mix on low speed at a gentle pace until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, and beat gently until combined. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly one by one, follow with the tangy cream and flavoring, mix until combined.

Scoop the pumpkin filling on to the set base even the surface with a small spatula. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to release trapped air, then cook the cheesecake on the middle rack for about three-quarters of an hour with set edges and the centre is slightly wobbly. Stop baking, crack the door open allowing it to cool for an hour. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or longer), until firm.

While waiting, create the topping (ahead of time). Heat the oven to 410F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Combine the maple syrup and sugar in a small saucepan and stir gently over a low heat until dissolved. Mix the chopped pecans, stop heating and spread on the tray. Heat until golden, until golden and bubbly, then remove and leave to cool. After cooling completely, cut roughly keeping in a sealed jar chilled.

Remove the cake from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream to a light consistency, then add on top of the cake leaving a 3-4cm border. Add the crunchy bits on top, with additional brittle for serving.