Caramel Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect autumn indulgence! This creamy, dreamy spiced homemade cheesecake with a swirl of caramel is the best cheesecake for Fall!

Caramel Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake 

The picky hubby is a huge fan of  the classic pumpkin pie. It’s a must make for Thanksgiving. But no tweaking allowed. Pumpkin chiffon pie is a no go and, heaven forbid, no substitutions like this outrageously delicious pumpkin cheesecake.

He also won’t touch pumpkin bread, Easy Pumpkin Fudge, pumpkin bars or any other of my favorite pumpkin recipes. Well, it’s his loss. Though I really don’t get his logic, I was A-OK with more of this dessert for me.

How to Make a Pumpkin Cheesecake

My two top tips for making perfect cheesecakes never change. First, have your ingredients at room temperature, mainly the eggs and cream cheese. This makes a world of difference in how they incorporate into the batter. You want a smooth, lump free batter for the silkiest cheesecake.

Second, use the paddle attachment for mixing. A whisk will incorporated too much air and the texture will reflect that.

I’d never used this combination before, but drizzling caramel sauce over pumpkin cheesecake turned out to be one stupendous idea! You could drizzle and swirl or just pour some caramel sauce over the top of each slice.

But I piped a spiral of caramel over the cream cheese topping, then used a skewer to make this starburst design. I’m not too artsy, so don’t worry, this is an easy technique.

I’ve made pumpkin cheesecakes before, but this one trumps any previous versions. The texture is light and luscious, and oh, so creamy. I’d pick a slice of this beauty over pumpkin pie every time!

You Might Need:

• 9-inch Springform Pan
• OXO Offoffset Spatula
• KitchenAid 9-Speed Hand Mixer 

Progressive Eats

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is all about Pumpkin and is hosted by Jeanette Chen who blogs at Jeanette’s Healthy Living. With autumn in full swing, it’s the perfect time to start using fall’s harvest in our menus. We have some great ideas this month to use pumpkin in all sorts of dishes, from Breakfast to Dessert. Check out all the delicious dishes this month:

Savory

• Pumpkin Cappuccino Soup from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Pasta with Mascarpone Pumpkin Sauce and Toasted Walnuts from Creative Culinary
• Kaddu Ka Ambal – Sweet and Tart Pumpkin Curry from Spice Roots
• Roasted Pumpkin Herb Focaccia from Pastry Chef Online

Sweet

• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Brownies from Never Enough Thyme
• Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Gingersnap Crust from All Roads Lead To The Kitchen
• Pumpkin scones from Mother Would Know
• Caramel Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Snack Cake from Miss In The Kitchen
• Skinny Pumpkin Chai Latte from Jeanette’s Healthy Living

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats, a theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out.
We have a core group of 12 bloggers, but we will always need substitutes and if there is enough interest would consider additional groups. To see our upcoming themes and how you can participate, please check out the schedule at Creative Culinary or contact Barb for more information.

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Caramel Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake

A lightly spiced, ultra creamy pumpkin cheesecake topped with luscious caramel sauce

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Yield 12 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted

Filling:

• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 9 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup high-quality caramel sauce (I used Better Boy Bourbon Caramel Sauce)

Instructions

For Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap base of a 9-inch springform pan with 2¾-inch sides with a double layer of heavy duty (or regular) foil. Set aside.
2. Mix together graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Add melted butter and mix until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up about 1 inch along the side of the pan.

For Filling:

1. Using a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until light. Reserve ¾ cup of the mixture to use as the topping (cover and chill). Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla to the pumpkin mixture and mix until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Pour filling into the crust. Make a water bath by pouring boiling water into a large roaster to about an inch up the sides of the pan, and place in heated oven. Place well-wrapped springform pan filled with cheesecake batter into the roaster. Bake until cheesecake moves only slightly when the pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of the pan to loosen Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
2. Release pan sides from cheesecake. Bring remaining ¾ cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Add remaining 5 tablespoons whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly. Drizzle with caramel sauce or using a ziplock bag with a hole cut in the corner, starting at the center, pipe a spiral from the middle to the edges. Take a skewer and draw "spokes" from the center to the edge to make a web-like pattern.

Notes

Total time does not reflect cooling and chilling times.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 596 Total Fat: 41g Saturated Fat: 23g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 171mg Sodium: 415mg Carbohydrates: 52g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 41g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 9g