Indulge in this Silky Autumn Cheesecake with Maple Pecan Brittle

Velvety, spiced and just sweet enough, this seasonal treat captures autumnal comfort. I avoid prepared pumpkin – it lacks depth and flavor – so I recommend to roast some butternut or Kent squash. Roasting brings out the sweet flavor removing extra liquid, yielding a rich, tasty base that gives the cheesecake authentic character. The maple pecan brittle provides the final flourish: caramelized, rich and with just the right amount of crunch to offset the velvety texture.

Pumpkin Cheesecake and Crunchy Pecan Topping

For about one cup of puree, chop a medium squash, peeled and seeded into cubes, bake, lightly covered, at 390F until tender without browning. Blend using a powerful blender.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook about 1¾ hours
Cool 1 hr
Chill 6 hr+
Serves 8 to 10

Base Ingredients

• 200g ginger nut biscuits
• rich butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• a pinch of salt

Cheesecake Mixture

• 500g cream cheese
• 150g caster sugar
• orange zest
• 200g pumpkin puree (prepared earlier)
• thickener
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• hint of cloves
• fresh eggs, at room temperature
• 100ml soured cream
• vanilla

Pecan Garnish

• maple sweetener
• fine sugar
• nut pieces, in chunks
• 1 large pinch flaky sea salt
• heavy cream

Heat the oven to 365F and lightly grease the entire interior using a cake tin. Pulse the biscuits until crumbly, then tip into a medium bowl. Mix in the salty butter, stir until moistened. Tip into the buttered container, press down firmly, cook briefly, set aside to cool.

Lower the heat to 175C (155C fan). At the same time, put the cream cheese, sugar and orange zest in a stand mixer, then beat on low speed at a gentle pace until smooth and creamy. Add the puree, thickener, and seasonings, blend on medium-low until combined. Introduce the eggs separately, beating in well between each addition, then add the tangy cream and flavoring, mix until fully incorporated.

Pour the spiced cream onto the set base even the surface with a tool. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to remove bubbles, then cook the cheesecake in the middle of the oven for about three-quarters of an hour with set edges with a jiggly middle. Stop baking, crack the door open and leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. When cooled, cool in the fridge (or longer), until completely set.

In the meantime, prepare the brittle (up to three days ahead). Preheat the oven to 210C (190C fan) and line a small oven tray using liner. Stir together the syrup and sweetener in a small saucepan and stir gently gently for about a minute. Stir in the pecans and sea salt, then remove from the heat and scrape into the lined tray. Cook for 8 minutes, until caramelized, set aside. Once the brittle is completely hard, cut roughly place in a sealed jar in the freezer.

Open the cake from the pan and transfer to a platter. Whip the cream until fluffy, then spoon on top of the cake leaving a 3-4cm border. Sprinkle the brittle across the surface, offering more on the side.