Indulge in a Silky Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Maple Pecans

Silky, spiced and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat is a celebration of autumnal comfort. I’m not a fan of prepared pumpkin – the taste is bland and thin – so I prefer of roasting fresh squash varieties. Roasting brings out its natural sweetness removing excess moisture, resulting in a deep, aromatic mash imparting real depth. The maple pecan brittle adds the perfect finish: caramelized, rich and providing a textural contrast against the smooth filling.

Autumn Cheesecake with Crunchy Pecan Topping

For the pumpkin base, dice a medium squash, peeled and seeded into cubes, bake, loosely covered, at 390F until soft but not browned. Blend until smooth.

Prep 10 min
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hour
Chill at least 6 hours
Serves 8 to 10

Crumb Crust

• spiced biscuits
• melted butter, melted, with more for the tin
• a pinch of salt

For the Filling

• full-fat cream cheese
• white sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• homemade puree (as described above)
• thickener
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• warm ginger
• freshly grated nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• 2 large eggs, not cold
• 100ml soured cream
• vanilla

Crunchy Finish

• maple sweetener
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• nut pieces, roughly chopped
• 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
• heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 365F coat the base and sides using a cake tin. In a food processor the ginger nuts to fine crumbs, then tip into a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and salt, stir until moistened. Transfer to the prepared pan, press down firmly, bake for 10 minutes, set aside to cool.

Turn down the oven temperature to 175C (155C fan). In the meantime, place the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer, then beat on low speed at a gentle pace until smooth and creamy. Incorporate the pumpkin puree, cornflour and spices, then mix at low speed until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in well one by one, next include the tangy cream and flavoring, whip until fully incorporated.

Pour the cheesecake mixture on to the cooled biscuit base and smooth the top with a tool. Lightly tap the pan on a worktop to release trapped air, then cook the dessert on the middle rack until set until the sides are firm and a soft center. Stop baking, keep the oven slightly open allowing it to cool for 60 minutes. When cooled, refrigerate for 6+ hours (or for days), until completely set.

In the meantime, prepare the brittle (in advance). Heat the oven to 410F cover a tray using liner. Stir together the syrup and sweetener in a small saucepan and heat slowly gently for about a minute. Mix the nuts and salt, then remove from the heat and scrape into the lined tray. Heat until golden, until caramelized, take out and cool. After cooling completely, break into chunks keeping in a container frozen.

Release the cake from the springform move to a plate. Beat the cream to a light consistency, then spoon on top of the cake leaving a 3-4cm border. Add the crunchy bits across the surface, offering more on the side.