In my opinion, a Basque cheesecake is the best kind of cheesecake to make. No water bath, no worrying about the top cracking, and no waiting to let the whole thing cool means that you get all of the lovely cheesecake rewards without any of the stress. It embraces all of the imperfections that can happen with cheesecake, but promises an ultra-silky interior with a crust that adds an extra caramelized flavor. This pumpkin version packs in warm spices and an extra drizzle of caramel on top, creating a stunning dessert for any fall holiday or potluck. The best part? You can make it ahead of time—basically, it’s about as stress-free as an impressive dessert like this can get.
How To Make Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
- Cream Cheese: The backbone of all cheesecakes. This is where the structure and creaminess for the cheesecake start.
- Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar gives a caramel-like flavor to the cheesecake. Light or dark brown sugar works well in this recipe.
- Pumpkin Puree: Store-bought always gives the most consistent and best results rather than homemade. Plus, homemade takes a lot of effort. Just make sure to buy pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix.
- Eggs: This recipe calls for whole eggs and yolks—the extra yolks make the cheesecake creamier and richer.
- Vanilla Extract: The vanilla in this recipe is subtle but carries through just enough, in my opinion, but you could also use a paste to up the vanilla flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: The cheesecake only needs a small amount to help it set.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This mix has all of the spices you’d want in a pumpkin cheesecake. You can buy a jar of the mix or make your own.
- Kosher Salt: This will help bring out the pumpkin and all of the spices’ flavors.
- Heavy Cream: This is where a regular cheesecake and Basque cheesecake differ. The large amount of heavy cream makes the cheesecake creamy and extra silky and rich.
- Caramel: A warm caramel drizzle is the perfect topping for the cheesecake. You can buy a jar or make your own.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Line your springform pan with parchment paper. Scrunch the parchment up into a ball and then straighten it back out. This helps the parchment hold its shape and stay in the pan better. Place the parchment paper overlapping in opposite directions so that all of the sides are well covered with a bit of overhang.
In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until creamy and no lumps remain, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin and beat until combined. You want to make sure you aren’t seeing any bits of cream cheese in the now orange mixture. Keep beating until everything is smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as well.
Add eggs and beat until incorporated, then scrape down the bowl and add egg yolks and vanilla, beating until incorporated, 1 minute more. Add flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and beat on medium-low speed until just combined. Add cream and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and pretty loose at this point.
Pour the batter into the lined pan. It will be very full, and that’s okay. The parchment helps hold it in. It will puff up while baking, but should overflow.
Bake the cheesecake until the top is very dark and puffed, the edges are slightly set, and the center is still quite jiggly. This should take about 60 to 70 minutes. Then you’re ready to top with caramel and serve!
Recipe Tips
- Use a baking sheet: Baking the cheesecake on a baking sheet mostly helps to take the cheesecake in and out of the oven. The cheesecake pan will be very full, and it can be difficult to have a steady place to hold the pan once it’s hot, so this makes it much easier.
- Mix it well: Make sure to beat your cheesecake mixture well, especially when initially beating the cream cheese and sugar. You want to make sure there are no clumps of cream cheese throughout the mixture.
- When is my cheesecake done? Don’t be shy about letting the top get dark. That’s what you want! The cheesecake should be quite dark, and the top should puff while still jiggling. The cheesecake should come out of the oven while still quite jiggly so that it doesn’t overcook.
- Serve it how you like it: Basque cheesecakes can be served at room temperature or chilled. I like serving it chilled for easier and prettier slices.
Storage
The cheesecake keeps well in the refrigerator. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
