The butternut pumpkin takes a departure from its usual savoury status in Australian cuisines to take centre stage in this chai-spiced cheesecake. The pumpkin is gently roasted to add a warm depth of flavour to the light cream cheese filling, then delicately spiced with cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. The creamy filling is encased in a buttery pecan crust, complemented by a delicious toffee-like roasted pecan praline, and when served with a dollop of cream, makes the most heavenly autumn dessert.
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Pumpkin Chai Cheesecake
Gently roasted pumpkin cream cheese filling is delicately spiced with cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, encased in a buttery pecan crust and sprinkled with roasted pecan praline in this heavenly autumn dessert.
Ingredients
Roasted Pecan Crust
- 200g digestive biscuits
- 60g pecans
- 70g unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Pumpkin Chai Filling
- 400–450g butternut pumpkin (half a butternut pumpkin)
- 250g cream cheese, softened
- 100g caster sugar, sifted
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 100ml thickened cream, cold
- 65ml maple syrup
- Icing sugar, to dust
- Dollop cream, to serve, if desired
Pecan Praline
- 50g pecans, finely sliced
- 100g caster sugar
Instructions
Roasted Pecan Crust
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160° fan-forced), and line a 20cm (8”) spring-form pan with removable base with baking paper.
- Place pecans on a tray and roast for 5-7 minutes or until fragrant, taking not to burn. Allow to cool completely.
- Process digestive biscuits with pecans in a food processer until fine, then mix with melted butter and salt.
- Press mixture evenly over the base of spring-form pan then par-bake for 8-10 minutes until very lightly golden. Allow to cool.
Pumpkin Chai Filling
- Roast pumpkin cut side down in a baking tray in preheated oven for about 60-70 minutes, until well roasted and very soft. Allow to cool, then discard seeds and scoop pumpkin flesh into a food processor. Process pumpkin to a thick puree, then press puree through a sieve, yielding 180-200g roasted pumpkin puree.
- Whisk cream cheese, sugar and ground spices in an electric mixer until light, airy and pale.
- Whisk in eggs, one by one, then thickened cream, until smooth and creamy.
- Whisk in maple syrup and pumpkin puree on low speed until combined.
- Pour filling into crust, then bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven. When done, the cheesecake should appear set but have a gentle wobble in the centre.
- Allow to cool completely in oven with door ajar, then refrigerate until set, ideally overnight.
Pecan Praline
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160° fan-forced), then roast pecans on a tray for 5-7 minutes or until fragrant, taking not to burn. Allow to cool in tray.
- Melt sugar in saucepan until dark amber, then pour over pecans in tray. Allow to cool completely in dry conditions. Smash into small bite-sized pieces.
- Praline can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
To Serve
- Dust with sifted icing sugar, then sprinkle with pecan praline.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature, with dollop cream if desired.
Enjoy!
Notes
Makes one 20cm (8”) cheesecake and serves 8-10 people
You may also like:
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Spice Cake with Maple Frosting + Salted Caramel
Lemon Myrtle Cheesecake + Roasted Macadamia Crust
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