Pumpkin cheesecake with dulce de leche and cinnamon

An autumn pumpkin cheesecake with deliciously sweet dulce de leche and cinnamon. Although dulce de leche has a fairly subtle flavour, it pairs wonderfully with pumpkin. It also makes this pumpkin cheesecake extra sweet and gives it a silky, creamy texture. The addition of pecans to the base adds a lovely contrast and lifts the flavour of the cheesecake. Highly recommended!

Which pumpkin do I use for baking? In Poland, a good variety for baking is Hokkaido pumpkin, known in the UK as Red Kuri squash. It has a delicate flavour, floury flesh and an intense orange colour. It’s wonderfully versatile in the kitchen.

Ingredients for the base:

• 150 g wholemeal digestive biscuits covered in dark chocolate (or use oat biscuits and 30 g dark chocolate instead)
• 40 g pecans (or walnuts)
• 30 g butter, melted

Place the biscuits, pecans and butter in a food processor and blitz until the biscuits are finely crushed and the mixture resembles wet sand. If you don’t have a food processor, place the biscuits in a sturdy bag (such as a resealable bag) and crush them thoroughly with a rolling pin. Finally, mix with the finely chopped nuts and melted butter.

Line the base and sides of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin and level the surface. Pre-bake at 180ºC for about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil – the cheesecake will be baked in a bain-marie.*

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 500 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, ground three times
• 250 g mascarpone
• 4 large eggs
• 120 g caster sugar
• 350 g pumpkin purée*
• 200 g dulce de leche
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp potato starch
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the cheesecake filling ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix just until combined, or simply whisk together by hand; do not overmix, as this will unnecessarily aerate the mixture. An aerated cheesecake will rise considerably during baking and then sink.

Pour the cheesecake filling over the biscuit base and bake at 160°C for about 60 minutes in a bain-marie.* The entire surface of the cheesecake should be baked through and set when gently touched with a skewer. If necessary, extend the baking time slightly. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge, preferably overnight. Before serving, pat the surface of the cheesecake dry and dust with cinnamon.

Additionally:

• cinnamon, for dusting

*The cheesecake is baked in a bain-marie: place the cheesecake tin inside a larger tin or ovenproof dish and pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the tin containing the cheesecake. The cheesecake is baked surrounded by steam, creating a very humid environment. This allows it to bake evenly throughout, including in the centre, prevents it from cracking and helps it retain a perfectly creamy texture.

Enjoy!