New-York-Style Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love pumpkin.  It's fantastic.  And it's one of the few fruits/vegetables that we still view as seasonal.  I always get so excited for pumpkin season that I go overboard (just a little) and buy more than I'll eat right away.  Lucky me, pumpkin puree freezes well.  I wind up with a freezer full of pumpkin that I can use to satisfy pumpkin cravings out of season.  I came up with this recipe about this time last year as a way of doing just that.  I liked the idea of a pumpkin cheesecake, but all the recipes I found were, for lack of a better term, normal cheesecakes.  I grew up eating New York-style, with that delicious top layer.  (And I'm sure someone out there will read over this recipe and argue that even my recipe is not authentically New York-style.  To this person I say, "let's get bagels.")  The top layer has always been my favorite part of the cake, so I knew I had to include it in this recipe.  It's a little bit of a pain, because you need to use two different baking temperatures, but it is so worth it.

New York-Style Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:
1 1/2 C gingersnap crumbs
2 T sugar
pinch salt
1/2 C butter, melted

Cake:
2 blocks (16 oz total) cream cheese
3/4 C sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp flour
2 C pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp cinnamon*
1/4 tsp ginger*
1/4 tsp allspice*
pinch clove*
*or substitute 1 tsp pumpkin spice if you'd rather

Topping:
1 C cream cheese
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch each of cinnamon, ginger, and allspice (or 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice)

Crust:
Combine the gingersnap crumbs, sugar, and salt, then add the butter.  Press the resultant mixture into the bottom of a springform pan.  Add more butter if necessary to achieve a cohesive mix.

Cake:
In a mixing bowl, combine 2 blocks of cream cheese, sugar, 2 eggs, and vanilla.  Beat 15 minutes (yes, all 15 minutes…  this is where I wish, every single time, that I had a stand-alone mixer).  Add in pumpkin puree, flour, remaining egg, and spices, and beat a few minutes more, until thoroughly combined.  Pour over crust, and bake at 375˚F for 40 minutes.

Topping:
Mix together topping ingredients, and pour over the cake.  Bake 5 minutes at 400˚F, until set.  To test done-ness, use a butter knife or a metal cake tester, NOT a toothpick.  (I received a cake tester from my mother-in-law, and I thought it was silly at the time.  It is now one of my favorite utensils.)

Chill the cake before serving.

I'll be honest, I was thrilled and surprised when this worked out as well as it did.  With the recipe being as finicky as it is (15 minutes), I wasn't sure how it would handle the pumpkin, or if there would be too much moisture.  But it turned out delicious, well-textured, and fit well into my springform.  The topping may need a little adjustment.  Maple or something, so that the spices blend a little better with the sour cream.  Maybe a dash of spiced rum instead of vanilla.  I'm not totally sure.  It's not an urgent need; the recipe still works deliciously without it.  I shared it with my bell choir, and everyone loved it, in spite of it being out of season.  

When pumpkin comes back in season, I'll try and make this again, with some adjustment to the topping.  Look for an update then.  For now, enjoy it as-is.