Cheesecake is the single best creation ever made by man. There is no better dessert… and if you think of one that even comes close, turn it into a cheesecake and it will be even better (hence the success of The Cheesecake Factory… smart bastards).
The plain New York style cheesecake is a masterpiece in itself, but I went half pumpkin in honor of the season (yep, I’m jumping on the pumpkin bandwagon).
Step one of every cheeecake: make the crust. We opted for the traditional graham cracker crust… I would love to be able to make a crust go up the side, but my skill level is quite low so that won’t be happening anytime soon.
Next step: we decided to go half pumpkin, half normal with the filling. We made a full out pumpkin cheesecake last year that tasted basically like a pumpkin pie. If I want pumpkin pie, I’ll eat pumpkin pie.
We made the two fillings, dolloped them in randomly, then took a spatula and swirled them together. I had no idea what I was doing, but it seemed to work. Notice the beautiful marbling below?
I baked the cheesecake for a bit, took it out, poured the topping over it, then threw it back in the oven for a little more. Say goodbye to the majestic swirl, that’s the last you’ll see of it.
Side note: Like how I went from “we” to “I” during this step… Alicia decided she would rather play Oregon Trail on her iPhone right about here… lazy bum.
The worst part about the cheesecake (aside from the 4 lbs you gain from eating it) is the 6 – 8 hour wait before you can dig in. It was worth it though, I haven’t had cheesecake in months and this was just about as good as it could get.
With that said, this cheesecake has motivated me to lose the last 10 pounds I have left to lose. It’s about time I buckle down and get this done… expect to see super healthy meals for the next few weeks.
A creamy marbled pumpkin cheesecake with a graham cracker crust topped with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
Ingredients
Instructions
Mix sugar, crushed graham cracker, and butter. Line the base of a 10-inch springform pan with the graham cracker mixture.
~To make the standard cheesecake filling~ In a mixing bowl, beat 2 packages of cream cheese and 6 tablespoons granulated sugar until smooth. Add 2 large eggs and mix until fully incorporated... set aside.
~To make the pumpkin cheesecake filling~ In a mixing bowl, beat 2 packages of cream cheese and 6 tablespoons of packed brown sugar until smooth. Add 2 large eggs, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves. Mix until fully incorporated.
Pour the two cheesecake fillings into the springform pan in any random pattern. Swirl the two fillings together with a flexible spatula.
Bake in a 350ºF preheated oven for 35 minutes.
Mix the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together to form the topping.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Pour the topping over and spread evenly... return to oven for 10 - 15 more minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Place the cheesecake in the fridge and let cool overnight.
If you know of a way to slice the first piece of cheesecake without mutilating it... leave a comment.
Serve with desired toppings, I went for caramel sauce and whipped cream.
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