California Pizza Kitchen Pumpkin Cheesecake
Recipe from: California Pizza Kitchen Pasta, Salads, Soups, And Sides by Larry Flax,Rick Rosenfield
Sweetly spiced with traditional pumpkin-pie seasonings, this luscious cheesecake appears as a special on our dessert menus a few weeks before Thanksgiving and stays until just before Christmas. During that brief season,our guests go wild for it. Try serving the cheesecake with a dollop of whipped cream.
Makes 12 servings
Graham Cracker Crust
1-1/2 Cups graham cracker crumbs (about 22 sheets, finely crushed with arolling pin in a sealed plastic bag)
3 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
24 Ounces cream cheese (three 8-ounce packages)
1-1/2 Cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 Teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 Teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
3 Large eggs
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/4 Cups canned pumpkin puree.
To Make the Graham Cracker Crust: Put the graham cracker crumbs in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until they have a
uniformly fine texture. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. With the machine
running, pour the melted butter through the feed tube and continue
processing just until the mixture forms a soft mass. Remove from the
processor and firmly press the mixture into the base of a 9-inch springform
pan, spreading it evenly.
To Make the Cheesecake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, beat the cream
cheese until soft, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides
and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the brown sugar and
continue beating until thoroughly incorporated and creamy. In a separate
small bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and
nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat until
thoroughly combined, stopping occasionally to scrape down the bowl. In the
same way, beat in the sour cream and then, one at a time, the eggs, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and pumpkin and beat until thoroughly combined.
Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan and place on the center
rack of the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Protecting your hands with oven mitts or
pads, test for doneness by gently moving the pan to see if the center of the
cheesecake has firmed up - a sign of doneness - or is still slightly fluid
(alternatively, check the cheesecake’s internal temperature with an
instant-read thermometer, which should register 180 degrees F). The
cheesecake may require up to 20 minutes more baking time. When it is done,
let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it overnight before
removing the side of the pan. Cut the cheesecake into wedges with a sharp
knife.
Servings: 12