Pumpkin Cheesecake + HELP Wanted
So it’s been strangely quiet here on the little dish, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense considering the holidays are like the playoffs for those who love to cook and bake (and eat, for that matter!)
I have to take full responsibility for that. I’m a writer in an industry that’s really impacted by the holidays. It’s a crazy, crazy time of year for me and I sort of shifted into “survival mode.” It’s been quite some time since I’ve had a relaxing meal out or investigated a new restaurant to try… Très sad!
But it hasn’t been all doom and gloom in my culinary world. For Thanksgiving, I baked a pumpkin cheesecake based on a recipe “stolen” from The Cheesecake Factory. It was a huge success. Assembling it was incredibly simple, almost therapeutic. Measuring out spices by the precise teaspoon, beating the cream cheese until it was soft and smooth, pressing the graham cracker crust into the pan… Simple and tangible and focused — everything my holiday season hasn’t been.
It reminded me of what I love most about baking and why it’s important, even at times when you think you’re too busy for it. Which is why I’m reaching out to you. I want to bake — no, need to bake — something fun & lovely this weekend. Any suggestions? Holiday sweets? A favorite comfort dessert? I’m open to something new to try, so please send suggestions!
Now as for that marvelous cheesecake… Not only was it simple to make, it was delicious. I used a Barefoot Contessa tip on cooling the cheesecake slowly to prevent cracking and it worked perfectly. You just turn off the oven a couple of minutes prematurely, but keep it in the hot oven so it continues to cook. After 10 minutes or so, open the door so that the heat slowly dissipates. Once it’s completely cooled, put it in the fridge to chill. I think the slow temperature change is what kept it from cracking. I’ve had trouble with that in the past and after following those steps, didn’t have even a tiny one!
The Cheesecake Factory’s Pumpkin Cheesecake
(I couldn’t find the copy cat site I found the recipe originally, but you can find it here)
Crust:
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
5 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp. sugar
Filling:
(3) 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
Whipped Cream
Mix the crust ingredients together in a medium bowl, just till coated and crumbly. Wrap the bottom (outside) of an 8″ springform pan with foil to prevent leaks. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside until you are ready to fill it.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and continue beating until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the pan.
Bake for 60-70 minutes. (The top will turn a bit darker at this point.) Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator. When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides and cut. Serve with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.
well, i don’t know if it’s technically considered “baking” but i think making fudge would be an interesting challenge! plus, it’s festive and indulgent so it’s perfect for the holidays.
I always love baking bread. You wake up early, mix the dough, let it rise, kneed it, its all so meditative in its own way. And in the end it leaves your entire house smelling sooooo good. I have a really good recipe for a wet sponge method, which is about as close to sourdough as you can get without an actual sourdough culture, if you wants it.
A Genoise cake is pleasant to bake. It’s very light and less sweet than American cakes, so that you won’t feel guilty about eating it. And if there’s not enough sweetness, you can always add a dense and rich chocolate ganache, it’ll give a good contrast and makes it interesting to eat.
I’ve been wanting pretzels recently…
love this site
thank you all so much for your suggestions!!!
feeling so inspired…
sam, do you have a recipe you’d suggest for that genoise cake? sounds amazing!
The Genoise is usually a base for other deserts such as ladyfingers, madeleines, petits fours, tiramisu, or simply a cake. As a cake, there are so many ways to dress it up. It has more air and half the sugar of a butter cake. So some people like to make a syrup for the cake and let the syrup absorb into the cake. Others like to add frosting, like buttercream, or even a ganache. More important than the recipe is the technique, since there’s no leavening agent the air has to be mechanically beat in. There’s a really good video here for the technique:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKa1e_CpvoY
Personally, I like to make the cake and eat it plain, as a light desert, with coffee or tea. But when I make it for others I’ll serve it as a cake with a glossy dense chocolate ganache made with dark chocolate and Disaronno. I think the last one I made, I added a raspberry puree in between the layers of cake. It added a light note to the dark chocolate.
i just leave munching and eating cheesecakes, they are tasty and yummy-`.