Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger & White Chocolate
The past week’s weather here in the Midwest has been absolutely spectacular! It has allowed me to wear a pair of jeans with open-toed shoes, and maybe a light sweater in the early mornings and evenings – which I LOVE. And the color in our foliage this year has been nothing short of breathtaking. Be sure to read on after the pumpkin cheesecake recipe for a fall tradition my parents started, and that I continue to this day with our own girls!
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I came across a new pumpkin cheesecake recipe recently, and it was just too good to not share with you! This Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger & White Chocolate has a pumpkin cream cheese base, no crust (I didn’t know if I would like a crustless cheesecake, but I did!), and a crunchy, sweet, and salty topping. The candied ginger in the topping is especially lovely, and was the perfect way for me to try it out after purchasing a bag at Penzeys a few months ago.
I changed up the recipe quite a bit from what was featured in the Real Food Magazine that I snatched up at Byerlys a month ago. Besides adding a larger quantity and variety of fall spices, I also altered it to bake in a regular 9″x9″ pan. The recipe called for a square pan with a removable bottom, which I didn’t have, and I didn’t feel like buying. The method included in my recipe works beautifully, no special pan involved. This pumpkin cheesecake bakes and slices like a dream, and was a big hit when I brought it into the office. I know your upcoming Thanksgiving feast would welcome its presence.
Be sure to also check out my
Perfectly Perfect Pumpkin Cheesecake
with a gingersnap crust!
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger & White Chocolate
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Ginger and White Chocolate is a fabulous combination of rich, creamy pumpkin cheesecake and a crunchy, sweet white chocolate/pecan topping!
Ingredients
- FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
- 1 T. soft butter, for greasing pan
- 24 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 c. sour cream
- 1/4 c. cornstarch
- 3 extra large eggs
- 1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree
- 1-1/2 c. sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- FOR THE TOPPING:
- 1/3 c. chopped white chocolate bar (about 2 oz.) – I used Ghirardelli
- 4 T. finely chopped candied ginger – I used Penzeys
- 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Spray a 9” x 9” metal baking pan with cooking spray. Fold a 16” long piece of foil into a 9” x 16” strip and place in the pan, leaving overhang on 2 opposite sides. Repeat with another sheet of foil in opposite direction, lining pan completely. Butter the surface of the foil generously with the 1 tablespoon of butter. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sour cream, and cornstarch until smooth. Add eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour cheesecake batter into prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes.
- Top with white chocolate, candied ginger, and pecans. Press the toppings in gently. Bake 30 to 35 minutes longer, until mostly firm. The edges will be nicely browned and the center should jiggle just slightly. If the white chocolate is browning more than you like, place a 9” x 9” piece of foil lightly on the toppings after the toppings have baked on the cheesecake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight, as it really does need to cool and set. Gently lift the cheesecake out of the pan, using the overhanging foil as an aid. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Heavily adapted from Real Food Magazine, fall 2011. (I picked up this free – and gorgeous! – magazine at Byerlys in St. Paul.)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 502Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 307mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 2gSugar: 46gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
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As much as I don’t like letting go of summer, fall is pretty hard to resist. Especially with what we’ve been blessed with lately in warm temperatures and bold pops of autumnal color.
This time of year brings about a tradition I like to uphold with our girls in the form of a fall nature walk. Back when my sisters and I were young, Dad and Mom would slide us across the bench seats in the ol’ blue Ford Galaxy and tuck a cooler, blanket, and a couple plastic ice cream pails in the trunk. We were giddy, off for a walking adventure through the groves and grasses of nearby Cottonwood Lake, a State Wildlife Management Area in the northeast corner of South Dakota.
This is the earliest photo I could find of our fall walks. See the bucket Dad’s carrying? That was for all our found treasures. My favorite finds were rocks with sparkles and little glass bottles (extra points if the glass was blue or green).
This photo of Dad and Mom was taken one year later. I remember vividly taking that shot, feeling so big and proud as I centered my parents in the viewfinder.
My younger sisters that same year…
Then fast forward to having children of our own. I started up the tradition again when Hatti was 4 years old. As I packed a picnic lunch, Hatti loaded her little pink backpack with goodies, including binoculars, a paper tablet, and crayons. We set off for our local park at the end of the street.
The artist in her plopped right down in the middle of the leaf-strewn walking trail so she could do immediate leaf rubbings. I can still hear her softly humming.
This past weekend, I snapped a photo of our latest fall walk, with Hatti now having a sisterly companion, just as I did. The bucket provided a vessel for their collection of interesting finds, while Tessa’s bullet-deflecting bracelets and Hatti’s sword, coupled with her renowned wisdom and military strategy, kept me safe on the trails. The girls had been getting their Halloween costumes ready prior to our outing, and took their key pieces with. You know, to keep the bad guys away. ;)
If I make 2 of these at the same time, do baking times change at all?
Cant wait to try this beautiful recipe! So good that you are carrying on this Fall tradition with own family. I just think we need to live a whole lot closer, Paula.
Those walks were the best, most simple pleasures. I can still remember digging those stocking caps out of the bench in the entry way and the way they smelled when we put them on.
mmmm…I can smell those caps, too…
Oh, my. this looks AMAZING!
There couldn’t be a yummier looking cheesecake anywhere in the world then on this post! WOW!!! LOVE pumpkin, LOVE cheesecake and LOVE white chocolate and nuts. I think I would be in big trouble with that around. I have an awesome $100 Amazon Gift Card give away on my blog today if you want to stop by and make a wish for the Fairy Hobmother to visit you too!
you got me on with ginger and white chocolate. I don’t think I have see anything better with pumpkin so far. Love it!
I Love your recipe! Would you come over to Cast Party Wednesday tomorrow and share your tasty recipe with us?
Thanks
I hope to see you there!
http://ladybehindthecurtain.com
Those bars look absolutely delicious! But even more, I love the story of your fall tradition, and that you are carrying it on with your children!
So nice to meet you, Deborah – thank you – and congrats on your Rachael Ray feature!!
This cheesecake looks beautiful and delicious. Enjoy the rest of the fall season and treasure hunting in the woods with your girls =)
Thank you, Lauren – thank you so much for visiting.
Your blog makes me happy. :) Cant wait to try this beautiful recipe!
That is one of the best comments – highest compliments – I’ve received about this blog. To know that it makes someone happy. Thanks, Amanda. xo
Thanks for the wonderful memories, Brenda! And the pumpkin cheesecake looks so good.
Thanks, Mom. They’re some of the most simple and best memories ever.
Your pumpkin cheesecake is a beautiful as this post. So good that you are carrying on this Fall tradition with own family. Walking in the woods is very good for the soul.
Your penchant for collecting rocks and glass is the same as my grand-daughter Ella. She has a box full! Hatti is much like Ella as well in that Ella never leaves the house without a notepad and pencils/pens. She is always sketching and always writing down stuff.
Enjoy the rest of this colourful season.
I just think we need to live a whole lot closer, Paula. We’re missin’ out on hangin’ out with our families. :)
Oh my! This dessert is calling my name!
Thank you, Maria. (And your pumpkin cornbread is calling my name!!)
I’m loving this Pumpkin Cheesecake! No crust = gluten free! Sharing this on Pinterest for my gluten free friends to see. Love the treasure hunting pics and stories too! If you like treasure hunting you should check out Geocaching! It is so much fun.
I’m so happy you’re able to enjoy the goodness of this sweet treat. Thank you so much for sharing with your friends. I have never tried geocaching, but it definitely intrigues me. Some day!! Nice to hear from you – thanks!