Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake

Cookbook Category: Desserts

This cheesecake is one of our most highly-praised recipes. The recipe for the pecan gingersnap crust is a prize in itself, but the whole cake is one you'll make again and again.

1-1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs (Crush broken gingersnaps with a rolling pin or pulse in the blender until you have crumbs -- not gingersnap dust.)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted

24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1-1/2 cups pumpkin purée (fresh cooked or canned)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine gingersnap crumbs, pecans and butter. Press onto bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. (See Note, below.) Bake for 10 minutes in 350°F oven. Remove and allow to cool.

Combine cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar and vanilla, mixing at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Do not overbeat. Remove 1 cup batter from mixture and chill.

Add remaining sugar (1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons), pumpkin and spices to remaining batter; mix on low speed just until combined.

Pour the pumpkin batter into the prepared gingersnap crust. Then pour or spoon the chilled cream cheese batter on top of the pumpkin batter. There will not be enough to spread in a single layer. Cut through the light and dark batters with a knife in circular motions several times to achieve a marbled effect.

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Chill before serving.

Makes 1 cheesecake.

Prep time: 30 minutes; Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake

Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake Notes