Step-by-step Recipe

Ingredients: CRUST

• 100g ginger cookies
• 50g digestive biscuits
• 15g sugar
• 50g butter, melted

Ingredients: CHEESECAKE

• 145g light brown sugar
• ½tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼tsp ground ginger
• ⅛tsp ground cloves
• ⅛tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼tsp salt
• 450g cream cheese (this time I used Anchor instead of Philadelphia)
• 3 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 1 pumpkin (2kg) or canned pumpkin puree (240ml)

Ingredients: TOPPING

• 240g sour cream
• 50g sugar
• 1tsp vanilla essence

Directions: PUMPKIN PUREE

If you don’t want to use canned pumpkin puree and prefer to make your own from fresh pumpkin,
here’s how it can be done.

Preheat oven to 180C.Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy fibers. Place
cut-side down on a greased baking tray.

Bake for about 1 hour or until easily pierced with a knife. Scoop out the pulp and puree in a food
processor until smooth.

Strain through cheesecloth to extract all the liquid. Cool before using.

Directions: PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm springform tin and line the base and the sides of it with
baking paper. Place ginger cookies and digestive biscuits into the food processor and process until
fine crumbs.

Add melted butter and sugar, mix well. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the tin.

Bake for about 8-10mins. Let cool while you’re making the cheesecake. In a small bowl combine
brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth, for about 2mins. Gradually add the sugar mixture and beat
until creamy and smooth, 1-2mins.

Ensure the sugar mixture is well-combined with the cream cheese. Add the eggs, one at a time,
beating well after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree.

Pour the filling over the crust. If you want, place the springform tin on a baking tray to catch drips.
If you live in a dry climate, place a cake pan filled halfway with hot water on the bottom the oven to
moisten the air. Bake the cheesecake for 30mins and then reduce the oven to 160C. Continue to
bake for another 10-20mins, or until the edges of the cheesecake are puffed but the centre is still a
little wet and jiggles when you gently shake the pan. Total baking time will be around 40-60mins.

Mix together the sour cream, vanilla extract and sugar. Pour or spread the topping over the warm
cheesecake.

Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake about 8mins to set the topping. Remove from oven and
place on a wire rack to cool. You can optionally place a piece of aluminium foil over the top of the tin
so the cheesecake will cool slowly. When completely cooled, cover and refrigerate 6hrs or overnight.
Sprinkle with caramel sauce before serving, if desired.