Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins

Total: 3 hrs

Servings: 12 slices

Yield: 1 cake

Imagine everything you love about pumpkin pie in a cheesecake. This tall, elegant dessert begins with a graham cracker and pecan crust. The filling is prepared with cream cheese, cottage cheese, and pumpkin puree, with freshly grated orange zest and pumpkin pie spice for flavor. Finally, there is a sour cream and orange marmalade topping as the crowning glory to this sophisticated treat. Just before serving the cheesecake is garnished with orange slices for stunning presentation.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling:

• 1 (16-ounce) container small curd cottage cheese

• 4 large eggs

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon orange zest

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree

For the Topping:

• 2 cups sour cream

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade

For the Garnish:

• 1 orange

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 300 F.

   

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, chopped pecans, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the melted butter.

   

3. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the side of a 10-inch springform pan. Wrap the springform pan with foil to prevent any leaks. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.

   

4. Mix the cottage cheese and eggs in a blender on high speed until smooth. Set aside.

   

5. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, flour, orange zest, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cottage cheese mixture until smooth. 

   

6. Fold in the pumpkin puree.

   

7. Pour into the baked graham cracker crust. Bake at 300 F for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the oven off. With the oven door ajar, let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven. 

   

8. Once cooled, heat the oven to 350 F. Mix the sour cream and orange marmalade in a small bowl. 

   

9. Spread over the cheesecake. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool slightly and refrigerate.

   

10. To serve, remove the rim of the springform pan. Thinly slice the orange into rings. Remove the pulp. Decorate the cheesecake with the rind cut into semicircles. 

    

Tip

• If you don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand, it is easy to make your own blend. Simply combine 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1 teaspoon ground cloves. Store in an airtight container and enjoy throughout the fall and winter baking seasons.
• This cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 10 days.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	627
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g	52%
Saturated Fat 21g	103%
Cholesterol 164mg	55%
Sodium 451mg	20%
Total Carbohydrate 57g	21%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 42g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 64mg	318%
Calcium 204mg	16%
Iron 2mg	10%
Potassium 488mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.