A gingersnap cookie crust, a layer of chocolate cake, and creamy pumpkin cheesecake make this the Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Who’s a fan of The Golden Girls? Hi friends! I saw a picture of the show the other day and immediately thought CHEESECAKE! Then, I started to crave cheesecake and since my kitchen is all things pumpkin right now, I landed on Pumpkin Cheesecake. Since there are so many pumpkin cheesecake recipes on the interwebs, I knew mine had to be different. And so began my journey to create the Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake.
I drew inspiration from my Gingersnap Cookie Cups, where I served Baskin-Robbins’s September Flavor of the Month, pumpkin cheesecake, in a homemade Gingersnap Cookie Cup! I thought those chewy cookies would make a great crust, but I knew I couldn’t stop there. The Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake needed something extra, something to complement the pumpkin flavor and the tanginess and creaminess of a cheesecake….chocolate! Yes, chocolate!
So today I present to you, the Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake. A gingersnap cookie crust, topped with a layer of chocolate cake, topped with pumpkin cheesecake, and garnished with sweetened whipped cream!
This cheesecake is in a league of its own. It will trump traditional pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake and will be the star at your dessert table this holiday season. A little bit of time is required to complete this Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake because each layer is made from scratch, but hey, anything worthwhile usually requires some time and I guarantee that it will be well worth the effort!
It is quite a large cheesecake, serving about 12 – 16, depending on how you slice it up, so you will be enjoying quite a bit of it if you don’t give any away. That’s not a problem though because it only gets better with age :)
Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, separated
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
Chocolate Cake Layer
- 1 ½ ounce bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
- 3 tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- ¼ cup hot coffee
- ¼ cup (1 ¼ ounces) unbleached bread flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ cup packed brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 can (15-ounces) pure pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ pounds cream cheese*, softened at room temperature, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 4 tablespoons of the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Pour in the corn syrup and molasses and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture in two additions and mix until combined and a smooth dough forms.
- Gather the dough into a ball and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Roughly roll the dough to flatten to about ½-inch thick. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, just until the edges become crisp and darken. Allow to cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Set aside.
- Break up the cooled cookie into large pieces and transfer to a food processor. Pulse and drizzle in the melted butter until evenly moistened and the crumbs remain together when a handful is scrunched up in a fist.
- Transfer the crumbs to a 9-inch springform pan and set on a baking sheet. Using the flat bottom of a measuring cup or slightly wet palms, firmly and evenly press the crumbs into the entire bottom of the pan.
- Bake in the springform pan on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Set crust aside to cool on the baking sheet.
Chocolate Cake Layer
- In a small bowl, combine the bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour the coffee over the chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until melted and smooth.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and powder, and sugars. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, buttermilk and extract.
- Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until combined. Pour over the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the cooled crust and spread to create an even layer. Return the pan (still on the baking sheeto the oven and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool. Maintain oven temperature.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Wrap the bottom of the cooled springform pan with heavy duty aluminum foil to cover the seams and up along the sides, about half way up the pan. Place the pan into a roasting pan. Fill a kettle with water and heat to boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat the pumpkin over medium heat, stirring constantly until most of the moisture has evaporated, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar mixture in 3 additions and continue beating until creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Add the pumpkin and vanilla and continue beating until combined. Decrease the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined. Decrease the speed to low and add the cream until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir by hand with a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Pour filling into the springform pan and smooth the top if necessary.
- Transfer the roasting pan and springform pan to the oven. Carefully pour the boiled water into the roasting pan, being careful to keep the water level below the top edge of the foil. Bake for 1 ½ hours. Off the oven and slowly open the oven door to about 1-inch. Keep the oven door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from the water and place on a cooling rack. Remove and discard the foil. Run an off-set spatula or thin blade knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Allow the cheesecake to cool on the cooling rack for another 2 hours. Chill the cheesecake uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. Release the cheesecake from the springform pan and cut into even slices.
Notes
Sweetened Whipped Cream Topping
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Add the sugar and vanilla and increase the speed to medium-high. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Serve the cheesecake with the topping or use the topping to decorate the cheesecake.
Storage
Store in the refrigerator uncovered for up to 3 days after baking.
Crust adapted from Gingersnap Cookie Cups
Chocolate Cake Layer adapted from Cupcakes for Two: Valentine’s Day Peppermint Pattie Chocolate Cupcakes
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling modified from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook and Handle the Heat
Sweetened Whipped Cream Topping adapted from Ina Garten
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Wow, I wouldn’t have thought to combine pumpkin, gingersnaps AND chocolate, but I’m so glad you did – it looks phenomenal! *wipes drool off keyboard*
:D I think I had a HUGE craving for sugar at the time of brainstorming this cheesecake :)
This looks amazingly delicious!!! Love your photos, it makes me want to reach in and grab a bite!
Thank you! Hope you get a chance to make it so you don’t have to reach in :D
Man, I made some mistakes. I rarely bake and if I do, it’s from a box. First time making anything homemade and I started at 10 pm. I didn’t get to bed until 3 am. Also didn’t have a spring form pan so I did everything in a glass 9 inch round pan. Baking is definitely not easy when starting out. Waiting in the cake to cool now.. Question, I followed the steps correctly for the whipped topping, used a stand mixer with whisk attachment, with heavy cream sugar and vanilla extract. The cream is too liquidy no matter how much I mix it. I added corn starch and it still is liquidy. Will the cream harden after I put it in the fridge? Thanks
Hi Bryanna. Thank you for your comment. I hope the cheesecake turned out well! For the whipped cream, I would make sure that the cream is cold and the bowl is cold. I usually keep the bowl in the freezer while I’m gathering all the other ingredients. Then, whip with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until soft peaks. Add the rest of the ingredients and then whip on high speed briefly until stiff peaks form (it happens fast!). Good luck!