Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake

Name: Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 15 ounces pumpkin puree; 700 gm cream cheese; 250 g castor sugar; 4 eggs; 1 tbsp vanilla; 2 tbsp molasses; 1 tsp pumpkin spice; 1/2 tsp salt; 250 ml whipping cream; 45 gm flour

Burnt Basque cheesecake but make it fall. This pumpkin basques cheesecake is simple to make and so delicious! Packed with pumpkin purée and pumpkin spice is the perfect no fuss dessert to make this Thanksgiving.

Two of my favorite flavors in one dessert, pumpkin and Basque cheesecake. It is such a simple recipe to make and honestly, you don’t need much to make it, if anything, it is fantastic to make a day ahead, allow it to set before slicing and eating. I have served this cake with salted caramel sauce but a chocolate sauce would work as well. So, if you are looking for a delicious thanksgiving recipe this season or an easy but fun fall dessert recipe then this is the only recipe you will need.

What is a Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake?

If you don’t know what a Basque Cheesecake is, let me give you a brief, it is a creamy smooth cheesecake that is baked unlike other cheesecakes, without a water bath. It baked at a higher temperature and the top gets blistered and browned – again unlike other cheesecakes. However this cheesecake is filled with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to amp up the seasonal vibe. If you are looking to make a classic Basque cheesecake, check out my recipe here.

What ingredients do you need to make this Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake?

Pumpkin puree –

The recipe is a pumpkin Basque cheesecake hence we need the pumpkin here. You can use store bought or homemade. Also if you can get your hands on pumpkin butter, use it instead, the flavor is more intense and delicious.

Cream cheese-

To make a good Basque cheesecake we need full fat cream cheese. Don’t skip on this as it really makes for a deliciously smooth and creamy cheesecake once baked. I have used Philadelphia cream cheese but any non flavored cream cheese will work here.

Whipping cream –

This makes the cake silky smooth, you must use heavy cream or whipping cream or double cream as the high fat percentage makes for a very rich and indulgent cheesecake once baked.

Eggs –

The eggs bind the cake and I wouldn’t recommend making this recipe eggless, if you were to attempt at an eggless Basque cheesecake you could use egg replacer powder mixed with water as per the package instructions but don’t use flaxseed eggs here and the flavor does change a little.

Castor sugar –

I use castor sugar to sweeten this cake. I also like using maple syrup to sweeten it. But you can use brown sugar, coconut sugar or honey. I like using a mixture of dry and wet instead of using only honey/maple syrup.

Flour –

There is a minuscule amount of flour in this recipe, I wouldn’t skip it but you could use gluten free flour mix instead to make this gluten free.

Spices –

This cheesecake is seasoned with salt, vanilla and pumpkin spice. If you don’t have pumpkin spice, check out my homemade pumpkin spice recipe here. I also add 2 tbsp molasses, which not only adds flavor but also a deeper color once the cheesecake bakes, its a small amount and I would recommend not skipping it, if you don’t have it you can use treacle or honey.

What equipment do you need to make this Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake?

The beauty about this recipe is that we don’t need to stress on mixing this batter too much. We merely want to mix everything together until its combined and bake it. I have made this cake in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment which is fine. However I prefer using a bowl and whisk to make the batter. I bake the cake in a 9inch round spring foam tin that is lined with baking paper in an oven.

How to make this Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake?

We start by preheating the oven to 220℃, line your 9inch spring foam tin with 3 sheets of baking paper – we want the size of the paper to be larger than the tin. Scrunch the paper into the tin and it should be rustic so don’t over think it. In a large mixing bowl add the room temperature cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, castor sugar and mix until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until combined. Add the vanilla, pumpkin spice, salt and whisk again. Add the whipping cream and whisk until smooth. Add the flour into the batter and gently whisk until combined. Pour this over a strainer into the lined tin, bake for 35-40 mins until the top is dark brown and little blistered. The center should be wobbly when you shake the tin. Remove and allow it to cool for 4-6 hours before slicing and serving.

How to serve and store this Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake?

I love serving this cheesecake fridge cold with warm salted caramel sauce. You could serve it as it is, a dusting of cinnamon or icing sugar works well. You could also serve it with melted milk/dark chocolate. I would recommend storing this cake in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I wouldn’t store it in the freezer as it doesn’t defrost well, I find the texture is not as smooth after freezing.

Pro Tips for the prefect Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake:

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature this ensures you are not over mixing the batter which helps give you a smooth custard like cheesecake
Preheating the oven is so important for this recipe as the hot temperature shocks the batter once it is placed in the oven which helps give that color on top
Do not over mix the batter, you might be tempted to as it looks delicious and smooth but as don’t want any air bubbles in the batter as that will not give you a smooth cheesecake top and center.
I like straining the batter into the tin before baking to remove any lumps and excess bubbles in the batter – this helps create a smooth cheesecake.
Baking time depends on many factors, the type of oven you are using, the size of your tin and the temperature you live in etc. so even though the recipe says bake it for 35-40 mins that might vary for you. The best indicator is to check the cake after 30 mins and shake the tin to see how much of the batter is jiggling. We only want the center to jiggle.
Allowing it to cool is as important as baking. This not only helps the texture as the cheesecake sets as it cools but the flavors intensify and get better.

Looking for more easy Thanksgiving dessert recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make these Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.