Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
This one is for all my pumpkin pie haters! This cheesecake is the perfect pumpkin dessert for your Thanksgiving table.
| Recipe Snapshot | Serves: 10-12 | Time: 1.5 Hours* | Level: Medium |
What you’ll need…
For the Crust: 1/2 Box Nilla Wafers 4 Tbsp Butter - Melted 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar For the Filling: 4, 8oz Packages Cream Cheese 1 C Sugar 1/3 C Sour Cream 1 tsp Vanilla 3 Eggs 1/4 C Sugar 1 C Pumpkin Puree 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice 1/4 C Brown Sugar
Get Cooking…
Preheat oven to 400F, and bring about 4 C water to boil on the stove. I like to use a tea kettle for the water because of the spout for easy pouring. Next, cover a springform pan with foil (I like to do a double layer).
In a food processor, pulse the Nilla wafers until they form a coarse crumb. Pour in the butter and brown sugar and pulse again until the mixture resembles wet sand. Using the back of a measuring cup, press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan. The crust should cover the bottom completely and go about half way up the sides. Bake the crust for about 5 mins – your kitchen should start to smell amazing!
Remove the crust from the oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, start to work the cream cheese on a medium speed with the paddle attachment. Once smooth, add in the sour cream and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continuing on medium speed, stream in the 1 C sugar. After all the sugar has been added, pour in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and return to medium speed. Add the eggs in one at a time, and stop the mixer once the last egg has been fully incorporated. It is important not to over mix the eggs here to ensure you get a nice, smooth cheesecake after baking.
In a separate large bowl, mix the pumpkin, spices, and 1/4 C brown sugar. Add 2 C of the cheesecake mixture into the pumpkin and spice mixture. Fold together using a spatula and set aside.
Add remaining 1/4 C sugar to the original mixture and mix until just combined.
Start to spoon the plain and pumpkin cheesecake mixtures into the cooled crust. Alternate spoonfuls into the pan until all filling is in the crust. Take a sharp knife and gently run through the filling to create the swirls.
Place the springform pan onto a large baking sheet, and place in oven on middle rack. When the pan is in the oven, pour hot water into the baking sheet to create a nice hot water bath for the cheesecake. (This is why I like to double cover my springform pan with foil, just to ensure there aren’t any leaks for the hot water to get through.) The hot water bath helps keep the cheesecake from cracking. While it may seem really complicated, it’s actually pretty easy! Still feeling too intimidating? Skip it! The cake will still taste great.
Carefully slide the rack back into place and bake for 55-70 minutes. Mine usually takes exactly 55 minutes – the middle of the cake should wiggle when you gently shake the pan.
After baking, turn the oven off and crack it open. Leave the cake to cool in the oven for an hour. After this time, you can cover and place in the fridge to cool for at least 4 hours. This is when I like to let the cheesecake cool in the fridge overnight. It’s perfect when you need to make ahead!