Indulge in this Silky Pumpkin Cheesecake with Crunchy Maple Pecans

Silky, spiced and just sweet enough, this delightful dessert captures autumnal comfort. I avoid tinned pumpkin – it’s watery and flat-tasting – so I’ve taken the extra step baking fresh squash varieties. The oven’s heat enhances its natural sweetness while evaporating extra liquid, producing a smooth, flavourful puree that gives the cheesecake genuine complexity. The maple pecan brittle adds the perfect finish: toasty, flavorful and offering a satisfying crisp to offset the cheesecake’s creamy softness.

Autumn Cheesecake and Maple Pecan Brittle

Prepare the pumpkin base, dice a medium squash, peeled and seeded into chunks, then roast, lightly covered, at 390F until tender without browning. Process until smooth.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hr
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8-10

Crumb Crust

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• rich butter, melted, with more for the tin
• ⅛ tsp fine sea salt

For the Filling

• full-fat cream cheese
• white sugar
• citrus peel
• homemade puree (as described above)
• 2 tsp cornflour
• cinnamon spice
• warm ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• hint of cloves
• room-temperature eggs, warmed slightly
• 100ml soured cream
• pure vanilla

Crunchy Finish

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• fine sugar
• 90g pecans, roughly chopped
• sea salt flakes
• heavy cream

Preheat your oven at a moderate heat coat the entire interior with a springform pan. Using a processor the ginger nuts into crumbs, then tip into a mixing bowl. Incorporate the salty butter, stir so the crumbs are evenly damp. Transfer to the greased tin, even it out, bake for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool.

Turn down the oven temperature to a lower temp. Meanwhile, add the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip on low speed slowly to a creamy texture. Add the puree, thickener, and seasonings, blend at low speed well mixed. Mix in eggs one at a time, incorporating fully between each addition, next include the cream and extract, and beat until smooth.

Transfer the cheesecake mixture onto the set base even the surface with a tool. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to remove bubbles, then cook the cake centered in the oven for 45 minutes with set edges with a jiggly middle. Turn off the oven, crack the door open and let it cool down for 60 minutes. When cooled, cool in the fridge (and up to three days), until fully chilled.

In the meantime, prepare the brittle (up to three days ahead). Heat the oven to a high temperature cover a tray with baking paper. Mix the syrup and sweetener in a pot mixing over a low heat until dissolved. Stir in the chopped pecans, then remove from the heat and scrape into the lined tray. Bake for about eight minutes, until golden and bubbly, then remove and leave to cool. Once the brittle is completely hard, cut roughly keeping in an airtight container in the freezer.

Release the dessert from its tin and transfer to a platter. Whisk the cream to a light consistency, then place on top of the cake leaving a 3-4cm border. Add the crunchy bits over the top, then serve with extra pecan brittle alongside.