I promised you a new recipe last week, and it has arrived! If you haven’t already planned what you are making for Thanksgiving dessert, you might want to add this Pumpkin Cheesecake to your list! I’ve long been a fan of Pumpkin Cheesecake instead of p

umpkin pie at Thanksgiving (or if you can’t buck tradition, you could have both!) – so I was really excited when this recipe rolled across the Disney Parks Blog. It’s the same recipe they use for the Pumpkin Cheesecake found at the Jolly Holiday and French Market at Disneyland as well as Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta in Disney California Adventure. So you know it’s going to be a crowd pleaser! 

• 9 inch springform pan
• large roasting pan
• aluminum foil
• cooking spray

Instructions:

• In a bowl combine the crushed graham cracker, sugar and ginger. 
• Melt the butter and stir into mixture.
• Spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan using your hands.
• Place pan on a large piece of foil and wrap foil tightly up sides and around pan (this will be to keep the water out of the pan, later on).

mix, scrape, repeat

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Beat cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Whisk together pumpkin purée, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl until well combined. 
• Add pumpkin mixture to cream cheese mixture, beating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. 
• Add evaporated milk, mixing well.
• Slowly pour cheesecake filling onto crust mixture in prepared pan. If you want, drizzle with chocolate syrup.
• Place foil-wrapped pan inside a larger roasting pan. Place on oven rack and carefully add enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of springform pan.
• Bake 1 hour, or until center moves only slightly when shaken.
• Turn oven off. Crack open oven door, and allow cheesecake to cool inside oven 1 hour (this prevents cracking in the surface of the cheesecake).
• Remove pan from water bath and set on a wire rack to cool completely (if you cover too early, moisture will collect on the foil and drip onto your cheesecake). 
• Cover top of pan with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
•   Remove the side of your springform pan. Slice, and enjoy!

Baking Notes

Cheesecake bath

• Many of the baking notes I added into the instruction, and bolded them – I found that they were all pretty need-to-know… (in case you’re like me you don’t always read through all of the instructions before beginning the recipe.)
• I used my food processor to crush up the graham crackers – a full sleeve was just exactly 1 1/2 cups. 
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl a lot – to prevent the cream cheese from forming lumps in your cake.
• Start baking early in the day – this cheesecake takes a lot of time, at least 8 hours, before it’s ready. {1/2 hour to make, 1 hour to bake, 1 hour to rest, 1.5 hours to cool, 4 hours in the fridge}
• Really get that foil on the pan tight, even double it up – if any water can get through the foil it will seep up into the cheesecake through the bottom, and ruin it.
• I omitted the chocolate syrup in favor of going with a more traditional whipped cream topping.
• I had to keep adding another 5 minutes, and another because the center was still too jiggly – so make sure you test it before you pull it out of the oven.

my Thanksgiving table is ready!