Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

Article by: Krissy Downey

Craving the iconic pumpkin cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory? You’re not alone! While the restaurant chain favorite keeps their recipes under tight lock and key, our dedicated test cooks at Food Network Kitchen rose to the challenge, recreating the rich, spiced cheesecake that fans adore. After countless trials and tweaks, we’ve developed a replica that captures everything we love about the original: the velvety texture, rich pumpkin flavor and perfect toppings. We’re bringing you our perfect pumpkin cheesecake recipe and sharing a few tips and tricks along the way.

Key Ingredients In Our Pumpkin Cheesecake

Graham cracker crumbs: The rich sweetness of a graham cracker crust is the perfect accompaniment for the warm, pumpkin-y filling.

Cream cheese and sour cream: Why choose one or the other? Using both cream cheese and sour cream makes for a super flavorful and fluffy cheesecake.

Canned pumpkin: Make sure you go for pure canned pumpkin here, not pumpkin pie filling.

Eggs: This recipe calls for six whole eggs, which may seem like a lot, but eggs play a major role in any cheesecake recipe. They create a rich and smooth texture, help the cheesecake rise slightly while baking and thicken the cake mixture when it goes into the oven.

Spices: Warm spices like cinnamon, ginger and cloves enhance the sweet pumpkin flavor.

Whipped cream: Who doesn’t love a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top of a rich slice of cheesecake?

Pecans: The pecans add a nice crunch on a creamy cheesecake. Don’t skip toasting them – it adds a toasty depth of flavor to the pecans.

Why Do You Use a Water Bath When Making Cheesecake?

A water bath, sometimes referred to as a bain-marie, is the process of placing a cheesecake pan (in most cases, a springform pan) inside a larger pan filled with hot water for baking. It’s a baking technique that helps to gently and evenly bake the cheesecake. It regulates the temperature of the cheesecake while it bakes, preventing the edges from cooking too quickly or cracking while keeping the center creamy and smooth. It also adds moisture to the oven, which helps prevent cracks on the top of the cheesecake and helps maintain its silky texture. If you skip the water bath, the cheesecake can bake unevenly, causing cracks throughout the top and sides. It may also have an uneven texture, turning out dense or grainy instead of creamy and smooth.

Can I Use a Store-Bought Crust?

One of our favorite qualities of this mother-of-all-pumpkin cheesecake recipes is its tall and stately presentation. Using a springform pan allows you to pack the graham cracker crusts up the sides, which you can’t do with a storebought crust. When you buy the crust from the supermarket, it comes in a shorter pie pan that is not nearly large enough to handle all the pumpkin cheesecake filling. It is also not ideal for the water bath process. For those reasons, we recommend making a homemade crust and packing it into a 10-inch springform pan. Plus, homemade graham cracker crust has that delicious honey and butter flavor we can’t get enough of.

How to Store Pumpkin Cheesecake

Cover the cheesecake tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to one week. Make sure the cake is completely cooled to room temperature before storing it.

Does Cheesecake Freeze Well?

Cheesecake surprisingly freezes very well. Wrap individual slices or the whole cheesecake tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe zip top bag. It can be frozen for up to three months. To defrost, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.