Put This Basque Pumpkin Cheesecake In Your "Best Fall Recipes" Basket
Looking for a dessert with vibes that match the season? This Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake layers warming pumpkin flavor into the rich, caramelized magic of a classic burnt cheesecake – creating a final course that feels both nostalgic and new.
This Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake from Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Trung Vu is perfect for a Friendsgiving or cozy weekend bake… or as a new way to use that extra can of pumpkin puree.
Unlike traditional cheesecakes, the Basque style is rustic in comparison. The top of the cake is burnt for caramelization, the interior is lusciously creamy, and there’s no crust. (Avoid aiming for perfection with this dessert; its intentionally rustic features provide bandwidth for “imperfections.”)
Over the past two years, Chef Trung has shown it’s possible to meld any flavor into the Basque-style cheesecake – just check out his recipes for Matcha Basque Cheesecake and Ube Basque Cheesecake. Or try the Classic Basque Cheesecake if you’re new to the dessert.
Simple yet sophisticated, a Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake will steal the spotlight this season.
For more pumpkin recipes, both savory and sweet:
- Coconut Sticky Rice with Pandan-Poached Pumpkin
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Pumpkin and Ricotta Gnocchi With Brown Butter and Sage Sauce
Ingredients
Pumpkin cheesecake:
- 6 grams pumpkin spice
- 367 grams sugar
- 800 grams cream cheese, softened
- 425 grams pumpkin puree (1 can)
- 2 vanilla beans (or 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 272 grams sour cream (or crème fraîche)
- 300 grams eggs (about 6 eggs)
- 80 grams egg yolks (about 4 egg yolks)
- 30 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream:
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 45 grams powdered sugar
- 4 grams vanilla extract
Salted caramel:
- 75 grams water
- 325 grams sugar
- 75 grams light corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line a 9.5”x3" springform pan with parchment paper so that the parchment covers the surface area of the interior and hangs up and over the sides. Place lined pan onto a sheet tray and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together sugar, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree and cream cheese until mixture is smooth, homogeneous and free of lumps.
- Split and scrape vanilla beans into batter. Blend until incorporated.
- Add sour cream and mix.
- Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate.
- Add flour, blend thoroughly.
- Add vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
- Strain mixture through a sieve to remove any chunks of cream cheese that were not incorporated.
- Pour into springform pan and bake 30 minutes at 400°F, rotating pan halfway through.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and bake until cheesecake reaches internal temperature of 140-145°F (about 30-40 minutes).
- Remove from oven and cool in the pan at room temperature for at least two hours.
- Refrigerate at least four hours (or preferably overnight) before serving.
- Make whipped cream: whip heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to medium peaks (until cream mostly holds its shape without collapsing).
- Make salted caramel: add water, sugar and light corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Cook until mixture has a dark amber color and begins to smoke. Deglaze with heavy cream while stirring and scraping caramel to prevent sugar from seizing. While hot, mix in kosher salt.
