Pumpkin cheesecake

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Leave the cream cheese, eggs and heavy cream at room temperature for about an hour. Softened cream cheese blends smoothly with the pumpkin without long beating. It's ready when a spoon cuts through it as easily as butter left out on the counter.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Preheat the oven to 175°C and boil a kettle of water for the water bath. Wrap the outside of a 23 cm springform pan in two layers of foil so no water can seep in. You're ready when the oven is at temperature and the foil wraps snugly around the bottom of the pan.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Mix 180 g graham cracker crumbs, 30 g brown sugar and 2 g ground cinnamon, pour in 85 g melted unsalted butter, then press it firmly over the bottom and a little way up the sides of the pan. A thick, firm crust can hold up the heavy pumpkin filling. The crust is ready when the crumbs hold together when squeezed and the surface is level with no gaps.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Bake the crust at 175°C for 10 to 12 minutes, then let it cool and lower the oven to 160°C. The brown sugar and butter melt and bind together so the crust doesn't turn soggy when you pour in the filling. The crust is ready when it smells of cinnamon and is slightly darker at the edges.

   Bake at 175°C for about 10 to 12 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Beat 680 g cream cheese with 100 g brown sugar and 100 g granulated sugar on low speed, then add 20 g all-purpose flour, 6 g pumpkin pie spice and a pinch salt. The flour stabilizes the pumpkin filling and reduces the risk of cracks. The mixture is ready when it's smooth and the brown sugar is no longer grainy.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Beat in 425 g pumpkin puree, 60 g heavy cream and 5 g vanilla extract, then add 150 g eggs one at a time, beating only until blended. Adding the eggs last helps keep air out of the filling. The filling is ready when it's an even orange color, smooth and free of white streaks of cream cheese.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Pour the filling over the crust, set the pan in a deep roasting pan and pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. The steam keeps the temperature around the cake steady so the filling bakes up smooth without cracking at the edges. You've got it right when the water comes about 3 cm up the pan and doesn't spill over the foil.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Bake at 160°C for 70 to 80 minutes, until the top is dry and matte and the edges have puffed slightly. The pumpkin filling is denser than a regular cheesecake, so it needs a longer bake. It's done when the center only wobbles gently like jelly when you jiggle the pan.

   Bake at 160°C for about 70 to 80 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly and leave the cheesecake inside for an hour, then lift the pan out of the water and remove the foil. Cooling slowly keeps the top smooth. It's ready when the pan feels only slightly warm to the touch.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Let the cheesecake cool completely at room temperature, then cover it and refrigerate for at least eight hours. A long chill sets the filling firmly and lets the spices meld. It's ready when you can remove the ring and the sides stand straight without slumping.

    Suggested time: about 480 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done