This Pumpkin Cheesecake was a surprising success because it was my first time making a cheesecake.
Pumpkin Cheesecake:
Yield: 12 servings
Crust:
3 tbsp. butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
Pumpkin Filling:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 (15 oz) can solid-pack pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger (or 1/8 tsp. cloves, if you do not have ginger)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 eggs
Topping:
2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Frozen whipped topping, thawed (optional)
Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
To make:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the bottom and side of a 10-inch springform pan with vegetable oil. For the crust, microwave the butter in a medium microwave safe dish on high for 30-60 seconds, or until melted. Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar and mix well. Pat the crumb mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan. For the filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy. Then add the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and mix well. Once mixed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until blended after each egg. Spoon into the prepared crust. Bake for 50 minutes. Then move the pan to a wired rack. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. While the temperature rises, make the topping. For the topping, mix the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Then bake for 8 minutes. After baking, allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Gently run a sharp knife around the outer edge to loosen the cheesecake, then remove the side. Chill, covered, for 4 hours, or overnight. Lastly garnish with whipped topping and nuts.
