My possible favourite all-time smell is the middle of a pumpkin. And my favourite type of cake is cheesecake. And I’m a ginger. THIS IS MY KIND OF CAKE.

I have never used a spring form pan up until now, and I love how easy they are BUT I used the wrong size so the cake is “shorter” than I expected. I’d recommend using an 8″ pan because the cake will probably be a bit more dense.

This was also my first time making cheesecake so it was a little hectic. But all in all I think it looks pretty good, and pumpkin is awesome.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 tbsp. melted butter
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar

Filling:

• 2 8-oz packs of cream cheese
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, chop gingersnap cookies until they are in crumbs and there are no big chunks. Mix in cinnamon, melted butter and brown sugar until well blended. Pour this mixture into an 8″ spring form pan, and pat down until even all around. Bake this for 4-5 minutes to warm it up/set it.

Rinse the food processor, then add cream cheese until fluffly. Add the brown sugar and mix. Add pumpkin puree, vanilla and spices. Once well blended, add each egg one at a time until the consistency is smooth and a constant light orange colour. Scrape the sides of the food processor to make sure no cream cheese is sticking.

Add the salt, then make sure everything is well blended. Pour the filling mixture evenly into the spring form pan on top of the gignersnap crust. **NOTE: The way you pour it is the way it will turn out looking, so make sure it’s not uneven or clumpy. Spread it with a spatula if you have to.

Bake for 50-60 minutes on medium rack, checking every 15 minutes to make sure it’s not burning. When it’s close to being done the top should begin to rise and little cracks should appear.

Let the cheesecake cool completely before taking it out of the spring form pan. Run a sharp knife around the outside of the cake before removing it to make sure it doesn’t tear as well.

If you’re having trouble getting the cake off the bottom part of the pan, place one plate on top of the cake and flip it upside down. Take the metal piece off the bottom, then put a second plate on top of the crust, and flip it right side up.

Let it cool, cover and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

Serve with whipped cream, caramel sauce or just eat it on its own! Happy Thanksgiving!