Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat Oven - Set a rack in the center of the oven and set it to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly grease and line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
Make Crust - Finely pulse graham crackers, brown sugar and cinnamon in a food processor. You can also crush them in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin.
2 ¼ Cups (270g) Fine Graham Cracker Crumbs
¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Cinnamon
Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Then toss in melted butter until combined. The mixture should hold it's shape when squeezed together. If it doesn't, you can mix in a little more melted butter.
½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter
Press Crumbs into Pan - Transfer crumbs into a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Use a straight edge cup to firmly press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Bake Crust - Bake for 10 minutes. Then cool completely in the fridge for 30 minutes or at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Once cooled, if your pan is prone to leaking, you can wrap the bottom with foil. I know it's not sitting in a water bath, but when it comes to cheesecake I don't take any chances! It's up to you!

Preheat Oven & Prep - Preheat oven to 325ºF (163ºC). Next, boil enough water in a kettle to fill your baking pan with 1 inch of water. I'm using a 9x13-inch baking pan, but you can use a roaster pan or a large cast iron pan.
Combine Cream Cheese & Sugar - In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, whisk together softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
24 Ounces (681g | 3 Blocks) Full-Fat Cream Cheese
1 Cup (200g) Granulated White Sugar
Add Sour Cream & Vanilla - On low speed, whisk in the sour cream and vanilla extract until combined.
½ Cup (113g) Full-Fat Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Add Eggs - On low, mix in the eggs, one at a time until combined. Scrape down the bowl after each addition. Do not mix.
3 Whole Large Eggs
Make Pumpkin Batter - Scoop out 2 cups of batter and place in a medium bowl. Then stir in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon until combined
1 Cup (227g) Canned Pure Pumpkin Puree
1 ¼ Teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Assemble Cheesecake - Pour a scant 1 cup of vanilla cheesecake batter on top of the crust, followed by a scant 1 cup of pumpkin cheesecake batter. (I used 2 different measuring cups to keep the batters from getting muddled) Alternate until all the batter in used. Gently shake the pan to level the layers after each pour. Next, using a butter knife or skewer, swirl the 2 batters together up and down, then side to side.
Bake - Place your baking pan of choice on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with the boiling water. Place your cheesecake in the middle rack, quickly close the oven door and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are slightly puffed and set, and the center jiggles similar to jello.
Cool - Turn the oven off and crack the oven door with a wooden spoon. Leave the cheesecake to cool inside the oven for 1 hour.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and carefully remove the foil if using. Then use a paring knife to gently loosen the cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan. This will make it easy to remove the outer ring when ready to serve.
Next, set the cheesecake on a wire rack to cool at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Serve - When ready to serve, remove the outer ring, then slide the cheesecake onto a serving platter. You can serve with whipped cream and a salted caramel sauce if you wish. Slice and enjoy!
For clean slices, wipe the knife down after each slice. Then dip in warm water and wipe dry before slicing again.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Equipment

INGREDIENTS

Graham Cracker Crust

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Notes