Pumpkin basque cheesecake

Another Basque cheesecake joins the collection! You may already know the classic version, the chocolate one, and even the pistachio variation. Now it’s time for one of autumn’s finest flavours – a creamy pumpkin Basque cheesecake with a beautifully burnt, caramelised top. This cheesecake is wonderfully rich, with delicate notes of orange and the warm aroma of cinnamon. Serve it on its own or with a generous drizzle of toffee sauce for an extra-special treat.

Which Pumpkin Is Best for Baking? For baking, I prefer Hokkaido pumpkin, known in the UK as Red Kuri squash. It has a delicate flavour, a dense, floury texture and a deep orange colour, making it ideal for cakes, cheesecakes and other sweet bakes.

Ingredients for pumpkin basque cheesecake:

• 900 g Philadelphia-style cream cheese*
• 250 g caster sugar
• seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 5 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk, from a large egg
• 300 ml double cream
• 250 g pumpkin purée
• finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• a pinch of salt
• 40 g plain flour

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Line a 25 cm springform tin (or a deep 23 cm cake tin) with baking paper. Butter the tin first, then line it so that the baking paper extends at least 5 cm above the rim. Place the cream cheese and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla, whole eggs, egg yolk and salt. Mix until smooth and fully combined. Add the pumpkin purée, orange zest and double cream, then mix until incorporated. Sift the flour and spices directly into the cheesecake mixture and mix briefly until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake at 200°C, preferably without fan assistance, for approximately 50–60 minutes. The top (or at least the edges) should be deeply caramelised and dark brown, while the centre should still wobble noticeably when the tin is gently shaken. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. The cheesecake will rise dramatically during baking and then sink slightly as it cools, creating the characteristic higher edges around the outside. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving. This chilling time is essential for the cheesecake to develop its proper texture and become easy to slice.

Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake can be kept at room temperature for short periods, but for longer storage or during warm weather it should be refrigerated.

Notes:

*I often make this cheesecake using equal parts Polish curd cheese and Philadelphia-style cream cheese. This combination is our favourite.

** Some recipes recommend baking the cheesecake for only 40 minutes for a creamier centre, removing it from the oven while the middle still wobbles significantly. The shorter the baking time, the creamier the cheesecake will be. Traditionally, the very centre has an almost custard-like consistency, making neat slices difficult to achieve. Be careful not to underbake it, however. The cheesecake should not remain runny after chilling. A shorter baking time will also result in less browning on top, but this can easily be corrected by placing the cheesecake under a hot grill for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching closely, or by switching to fan-assisted heat for the final minutes of baking. Personally, I could bake this cheesecake a little less, but this version is exactly how we enjoy it.

Enjoy!