So, I have had this crazy craving for cheesecake for the past almost 6 years....
Katie, what?! Misspelling? Oh no, my friends, there sure is some truth to that above statement.
You see, Roberto dislikes all thing cream cheese—He is certainly missing out if you ask me—and therefore I just don't keep anything with cream cheese in the apartment at all! Even pre-engagement, just-dating Roberto & Katie, there was nothing with this delicious cheese involved! Yes, in culinary school, we made many a mousse or cake with cream cheese, but it never left the bakeshop. About 6 years later brings us to this past week, when I decided that I have had to suffer this long without some incredibly incredible cheesecake, and it will have to end!
Being the sweet and wonderful man that he is, Roberto did take a taste, and that will do for me for the rest of our lives together. But also...that means that much more for me!
I then decided to keep this fall baking obsession going and make yet another pumpkin flavored goodie. What goes perfectly with pumpkin? Chocolate, of course! And what is another great friend of those two flavors? Some pecans.
Here, you start with a slightly sweet crust of pecans, graham crackers and brown sugar. This is then followed by a thin layer of chocolate cheesecake that is so divine, yet not overwhelmingly sweet you'll wonder why you have ever used any other recipe before. And finally, a fluffy, pumpkinny, cinnamon and nutmeg spiced cheesecake that literally takes the cake (Did I really just go there?!). Want to make this extra heavenly? Drizzle on more of the 70% chocolate used for your chocolate cheesecake layer and sprinkle with a few more pecans. This cake is making my mouth water just thinking about it!
Let's have our cake and eat it too—even if it is an entire cheesecake because you are the only one in your home who will eat it...I promise it is worth every smooth, bursting with fall bite!
crust ingredients
Brown Sugar—1 oz, or 1 TBL
Pecans (chopped)—2 oz, or ½ C
Graham Cracker Crumbs—2 oz, or ½ C
Butter (melted)—1.5 oz, 3 TBL
process
Preheat your oven to 350˚ F.
In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chopped pecans and graham cracker crumbs.
Add in the melted butter and mix until all combined.
Spread/press this crust mixture evenly into the bottom of an 8" spring form pan.
Put into your preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes, so the crust will begin to become golden and baked slightly.
Allow to cool before adding in the cheesecake batter.
pumpkin cheesecake ingredients
Cream Cheese—16 oz, or 2 packages
Cornstarch—2.5 oz, or 1 TBL
Brown Sugar—6 oz, or ¾ C
Pumpkin Purée—8 oz, or 1 C
Cinnamon—0.5 oz, or 4 tsp
Nutmeg—0.1 oz, or 1 tsp
Eggs—2
process
Preheat your oven to 350˚ F.
In the bowl of your mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
Add in the cornstarch and brown sugar.
Once incorporated, add in the pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Now, add in your 2 eggs, making sure to only mix until they are just incorporated. Overmixing leads to cracking of the cheesecake!
Set this batter aside until you have finished making the chocolate batter.
chocolate cheesecake ingredients
Cream Cheese—6 oz, ¾ of package
Cornstarch—0.25 oz, or ½ TBL
Brown Sugar—2.5 oz, or 5 TBL
Vanilla—0.1 oz, or 1 tsp
Chocolate (melted)—2.5 oz, or 5 squares **
Eggs—1
process
Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate.
**I like to use a nice 70% dark chocolate. The balance of sweet and bitter is perfect, not overpowering the cream cheese but pairing nicely. I use Lindt chocolate, which is where the “5 squares” comes from.
In the bowl of your mixer, cream the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
Add in the cornstarch and brown sugar.
Once incorporated, stream in your melted chocolate and vanilla extract.
Add in your egg, making sure, again, only to mix until they are just incorporated!
Pour this chocolate cheesecake batter on top of your pecan crust, spreading evenly.
Pour the pumpkin cheesecake batter that you have reserved on top of the chocolate batter, spreading evenly.
Place your spring form pan in another pan that is at least 1”-2” larger in diameter so that you can make a water bath.
Put water in the outside, larger pan, until it goes halfway up the sides of your spring form pan.
Place in a middle rack in the center of the oven; bake for 50-55 minutes—you want the middle of your cake to be just slightly jiggly, but firm all along the outer edges.
Remove from the oven, careful not to get the hot water on you. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
Once cool, remove the outside of the spring form pan.
Now, you may either dig right in, or pour a little melted chocolate on top and sprinkle with pecans!
Bon Appétit!