Velvety, caramelized, charmingly rustic, and brimming with fall flavor–what more could you possibly want?
Well, if that’s not enough, this pumpkin Basque cheesecake is also quite easy to make. At least in comparison to a traditional cheesecake, since there is no crust, no hot water bath or foil tent, and little-to-no chance of over-baking. Instead, a simple parchment lined cake pan gives it charmingly ragged edges, and a hot, dry oven creates a beautifully caramelized, nearly-burnt top.
The cake batter is fairly quick to throw together, too, with the help of a mixer. It can be made with canned pumpkin–which yields a deeper orange cheesecake–but is also quite tasty with homemade winter squash purées (I use my homegrown kabochas). It also includes a modest amount of pumpkin-pie spices, in order to complement–but not overpower–the naturally sweet and nutty pumpkin flavor profile.
Making your own squash purée for a Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake.
If you’ve decide to make your own winter squash purée, the first thing to consider is what kind of squash to use. A jack-o-lantern pumpkin can technically be used to make pumpkin purée, but, honestly, they just aren’t that flavorful. Instead, consider a butternut or honeynut squash because their flavor and texture is much more similar to that of canned pumpkin. The cheesecakes pictured on this page were made with kabocha squash which is why they aren’t quite as orange as you might expect from a pumpkin cheesecake. The flavor, however, is still quite pumpkin-y. This video shows how I turn my kabochas into pumpkin purée, but the process would be essentially the same for other types of winter squash:
More like this:
For a non-pumpkin, sourdough version of this check out my Sourdough Basque Cheesecake which has a subtle sourdough tang and an optional matcha add-in.
For a tradition pumpkin pie, consider using my Sourdough Pie Crust to up the flavor in your pastry.
Adding sourdough to cakes is truly one of my favorite things to do. The extra flavor-boost can really take a cake to the next level. And it’s also a great way to get rid of some discard. What’s not to love? Check out my full collection of sourdough cakes.
Learn more about the origins of Basque cheesecake in this article from Cook’s Country.
Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 16 oz (1 lb) cream cheese, room temperature
- Butter for pan
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 302 grams (1⅓ cup) heavy cream
- 226 grams (1 cup) pumpkin, kabocha, or butternut squash purée
- 4 grams (⅔ tsp) fine salt
- 4 grams (1 tsp) vanilla
- 198 grams (1 cup) sugar
- 3 grams (1 tsp) cinnamon
- 1 gram (½ tsp) ground ginger
- 1 gram (¼ tsp) nutmeg
- 47 grams (¼ cup) all purpose flour
Instructions
- Pull out cream cheese and allow to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 400° with a rack in the center. Butter an 8-inch springform pan. Line with two overlapping sheets of parchment paper (this cake is meant to have rough edges, so don't worry too much about smoothing out the sides completely).
- In a medium bowl combine eggs, egg yolks, heavy cream, pumpkin purée, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and mix until evenly combined. Add softened cream cheese and beat together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Gradually add pumpkin mixture to cream cheese mixture on medium-low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add flour. Mix again just until smooth and evenly combined.
- Pour batter into prepared springform pan. Place springform pan on a sheet pan. Bake on the middle rack of oven until deeply browned on top, about 60-70 minutes. This cheesecake will still be quite wobbly when you remove it from the oven.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes then unmold and transfer to a wire rack (its okay to leave it on the base of the springform pan). Cool completely (at least 1 hour) before removing parchment. Serve cool or at room temperature.
