Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake
This easy and delicious crustless cheesecake is inspired by the famous burnt Basque cheesecake recipe. It adds fresh pumpkin purée and fall spices to make it the perfect holiday dessert.
Servings: 10 people
Ingredients
- 1.65 lb Philadelphia cream cheese (you can also substitute any other cream cheese, such as mascarpone)
- 7 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (fresh is best but canned works too -- just make sure it's natural and not sweetened/spiced)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (you can add a pinch of nutmeg or any other pumpkin pie spices you like in this step)
- 2 cups sugar For a slightly less sweet cheesecake use only 300-350 g (1.5 to 1.75 cups)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 6.5 fluid ounces heavy cream (equal to ⅘ cup or 200 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
- Using an electric mixer, a whisk, or a metal spoon (the classic La Viña way!) combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Line a 10 inch (25 cm) springform pan or round baking pan with enough wax or parchment paper that it extends past the edges of the pan. This will help you remove the cheesecake from the pan later on, and will prevent it from sticking. You can use a smaller pan for a higher cheesecake but may need to bake longer so that the center isn't too runny.
- Bake on the center rack for 35-50 minutes. The cake will rise quite a bit but don't worry -- it will settle when it’s out of the oven. If you like your cheesecake just cooked through, bake for 40-45 minutes, and if it isn't quite burnt enough on top, turn the heat up for another minute or two, being careful it doesn't burn too much! If you like the center very runny, remove at 35 minutes.
- When the cake is brown and almost burnt looking, turn the oven off. The center shouldn’t be completely set. It will wiggle a lot when you move the pan (like Jello!)
- Let it start to cool gradually by leaving it out on the counter. After an hour or so, move the cake to the fridge to cool completely.
- After a few hours, your cheesecake should be chilled enough to cut. Don’t remove the cake from the parchment paper until it’s ready to be cut, plated, and devoured (as it can start to lose its shape).
- Enjoy with a sweet glass of Pedro Ximénez sherry.
Notes
Top Tips for Cheesecake Success
- Flour: If you want to make this cheesecake gluten-free, simply omit the flour. It won't have too much of an effect on the final result!
- Sugar: You can cut back the sugar slightly, though I wouldn't say the cake is overly sweet.
- Cream cheese: The recipe calls for the Philadelphia brand because that's what Bar La Viña uses in their recipe! But you can use any cream cheese you'd like, and even substitute with other cream cheeses, such as mascarpone.
- Eggs: This recipe uses a lot of eggs, make sure they're the best quality you can find!
- Spices: I like the simplicity of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, but you can use any pumpkin pie spice blend you prefer.