Don’t be frightened by the rather lengthy instructions! If you find them hard to follow, there is also a quick video below (less than five minutes). This is a cake you are going to want to make, even if it’s not done in half an hour. It’s so incredibly delicious you’ll forget about the work once you have your first bite of this!

I would actually consider making this for a birthday present! I know I would certainly be happy if someone showed up at my door, carrying this. Serve this with a hot cup of strong coffee, and your dinner will turn from great to even better.

Ingredients

Cheesecake Crust:

2 cups crushed gingersnaps
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

3 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, soft at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid pack pumpkin; not pumpkin pie filling
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Praline Topping

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Crush gingersnaps to obtain 2 cups. Add melted butter and combine well. Press onto bottom of a 9-inch diameter spring form pan and place in oven for 9 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, place pan on 3 layers of aluminum foil and wrap outside of pan with foil. Ensure that no water could penetrate through foil. Place pan in a roasting pan and set aside.

Beat soft cream cheese and both sugars on low speed until well blended. Scrape bowl well.

Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape bowl and beat until fully incorporated.

Add pumpkin, spices and vanilla, mix to combine – do not beat, just mix by hand. Pour into cake pan over ginger crust. Pour water into roasting pan, about an inch high, and place in oven.

Bake pumpkin cheesecake until center of cake no longer trembles, about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. You could also try baking for 1 hour and 45 minutes, turning oven off, then opening oven door and letting cheesecake cool off and continue baking at same time from residual heat.

Pull roaster out of oven and pull out your cheesecake. Allow to cool on a rack for 30-60 minutes. Place in refrigerator overnight. Bring your cake out of refrigerator about an hour before serving to bring it to room temperature. Remove outside of springform pan.

Make praline topping before serving to your guests for best results. Begin by toasting pecans for 8 minutes in a 350°F oven if desired.

In a saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil excluding pecans. Boil for 3 minutes ensuring that mixture will not boil over. Remove from heat and stir in pecans.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes and spread on surface of cake.

Run a sharp knife around edge and bottom of cheesecake in pan to remove from pan. Use a sharp knife to cut as desired.

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Quick tip: Butter your springform pan completely.

Thanks to Dixie Crystals for this yummy holiday dessert recipe.