Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin cheesecake has gained great popularity in recent years. It appears on the menus of cafes and restaurants. This dessert can also be made at home. It’s perfect for a family tea party and will look impressive on a festive table. The preparation takes some time, but it’s worth it.

A homemade pumpkin cheesecake turns out delicious, healthy, and vibrant, thanks to the pumpkin – the queen of autumn.

Preparation time: 3.5 hours + time for making cream cheese.

Calories: 114 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Yield: 12 servings.

Ingredients

For the base:

• chocolate cookies - 150-200 g;
• butter - 70 g.

For condiment:

• cream cheese - 600 g;
• cream - 100 ml;
• pumpkin puree - 300 g;
• sugar - 150 g;
• starch (corn) - 150 g;
• eggs - 5 pcs;
• zest (orange or lemon) - 1 pc.

For cream cheese:

• kefir (2.5 - 3.2%) - 4 bags of 1 liter.

For decor:

• roasted walnuts.

Cooking

1. Prepare the ingredients according to the list for making the pumpkin cheesecake.

2. For dessert, it is better to use pumpkin from the pineapple variety. It is sweet and has no strong pumpkin aroma.

3. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the inside, and slice it into rings. It will be much easier to peel this way.

4. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces of any shape.

5. Place the pumpkin in a saucepan, add a little water to cover the bottom of the pan.

6. Stew the pumpkin for 20 minutes.

7. Blend the pumpkin with a blender. The pumpkin puree is ready.

8. Now, prepare homemade cream cheese. For this, place kefir in the freezer overnight.

9. In the morning, cut open the package and transfer the frozen kefir into a colander lined with cheesecloth. Wait until all the whey drains, and the cheese thickens.

10. The homemade cream cheese is ready. Both the cheese and pumpkin puree should be prepared the day before.

11. Prepare the ingredients for the base.

12. Crush the cookies into crumbs. Melt the butter in a water bath or in the microwave.

13. Mix the ingredients until they resemble "wet sand."

14. Divide the crumbs into 1/3.

15. Form the sides of the cheesecake from the larger portion of crumbs.

16. Prepare the base with the remaining crumbs. Compact the crumbs with a smooth glass. Preheat the oven to 170°C, place the base in the oven to bake for 7 minutes.

17. Transfer the cream cheese, cream, and sugar into a deep bowl and blend with a blender.

18. Add the zest and cornstarch, and blend again.

19. Add the eggs to the smooth mixture and mix with a manual whisk. Do not use the blender anymore. For pumpkin cheesecake, it’s not recommended to beat the eggs into foam.

20. The result should be a smooth mixture without bubbles.

21. Pour the cheese filling into the form with the base.

22. Preheat the oven to 100°C, place a container of very hot water on the bottom of the oven. Place the pumpkin cheesecake in the center. Bake for 2.5-3 hours. Let the pie cool in the oven with the door slightly open. Once cold, transfer the cheesecake to the fridge for several hours.

23. The sides of the cake have easily separated from the edges of the pan.

24. Take the pumpkin cheesecake out of the pan and transfer it to a plate. Decorate as desired.

25. When cut, you can see how smooth the texture is.

Brew some fragrant tea and call everyone to the table.

Enjoy your tea!