Rich, creamy and SO easy to make! This basque pumpkin cheesecake is cooked in a hot oven with a high temperature to create a ‘burnt’ caramelised crust around the edges and then topped with a simple caramel praline sauce.

Let’s be real – cheesecake is a amazing but it’s an absolute pain in the butt to make. All of your ingredients need to be at exactly the right temperature, the oven racks need to be arranged properly, it cooks for what feels like hours, and don’t even get me started on how tedious it can feel to make a water bath for it to cook in.

WELL. If you’ve ever craved cheesecake but didn’t feel up to the task of making one from scratch then do I have just the thing for you with this ‘Burnt’ Pumpkin Cheesecake. Yes, I said burnt! Burnt in the best possible way.

Inspired by a Basque Burnt Pumpkin Cheesecake originating from Basque Country in the Spain, a basque cheesecake is characterised by it’s dark & golden exterior cooked in a very hot oven with it’s light, creamy and almost flan-like cheesecake centre.

It might sound fancy, but in reality is a fairly simple dessert that’s easy to make. Unlike a more traditional cheesecake with it’s smooth, crackless top and perfectly uniform appearance, part of this ones appeal is it’s rustic, messy look so you can’t really get it wrong.

Since Basque cheesecakes are made without a crust, I decided to add a pecan praline topping to this one to give it a little added texture. The praline sauce is a simple caramel mixed with lightly roasted pecans. It’s made in minutes on the stove top with very little effort.

This cheesecake would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. You can make it up to five days in advance if you plan on keeping it in the fridge or up to a couple of months if you freeze it. Make sure to look through the recipe notes for more detailed info of storing.

Enjoy!

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Recipe

Basque Pumpkin Cheesecake

Yield: 10 slices Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Additional Time: 1 hour Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

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Rich, creamy and SO easy to make! This basque pumpkin cheesecake is cooked in a hot oven with a high temperature to create a 'burnt' caramelised crust around the edges and then topped with a simple caramel praline sauce.

Ingredients

Cheesecake

• 24 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Praline Topping

• 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Position an oven rack to place one in the middle. Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C. Line a 10 inch loose bottom or spring form pan with baking paper and grease with butter.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar with an electric or stand mixer on a medium-low speed until very smooth and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Add the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt and continue beating until fully mixed in, about 30 seconds.
5. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the cheesecake mixture and beat on a low speed for about 15 seconds. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. The batter should be smooth and silky.
6. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 60-65 minutes until the top is browned and the centre of the cake is slightly jiggly.
7. Let the cheesecake cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan then let it cool completely before peeling away the baking paper. The middle of the cake will sink in the centre. Lower the oven heat to 350°/180°C for pecans.

Praline Topping

1. Spread the chopped pecans across a large baking sheet and place in the preheated oven to roast until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to let cool.
2. In a medium sauce pan, add the butter, heavy cream, brown sugar and vanilla and whisk until combined. Bring to a simmer and whisk constantly for 3-5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Once thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the goldened pecans.
3. Once the cheesecake has cooled and set, cut into slices. Pour the praline sauce over the top and enjoy.

Notes

Store in the Fridge: Cheesecake can be kept in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 5-6 days or 3-4 days wrapped up. If you want to make this in advance I recommend making the cheesecake ahead of time and the sauce 1-2 days before serving. Add the sauce to the cheesecake just before serving for best results and freshness.

Store in the freezer: It can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Keep the cheesecake in the pan as it cools, then wrap up tightly in plastic wrap and foil (still in the baking pan) and freeze. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and then eat within 2 days.

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Desserts Cuisine: French