Ingredients
2cupsgingersnap crumbs,(about 10 oz), finely ground
¼cupgranulated sugar
7tbspunsalted butter,melted
1cupgranulated sugar
8ozcream cheese,(3 packages), at room temperature
1tspvanilla extract
1cuppumpkin,canned
3eggs,at room temperature
1½tspcinnamon
¼tspground cloves
½tspground ginger
1¼tspnutmeg
whipped cream,optional
caramel sauce,optional
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour crumbs into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and melted butter and stir to combine.
Cover the outside bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with foil, securing the foil partway up the outer sides of the pan.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and about half way up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake the crust for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside while making the cheesecake filling.
In a large mixing bowl combine the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg and mix until smooth, but don’t over mix. Pour the filling into the prepared pan.
Grab a pan that’s larger than the cheesecake pan and fill it with about ½-inch of water, to make a water bath.
Place the cheesecake pan inside the dish with the water.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the sides of the cheesecake have just set and the center is just barely jiggly.
Remove it from the oven (it will continue to bake as it cools). Remove the tinfoil and allow the cheesecake to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Once cooled, cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
When the cheesecake has chilled in the fridge, remove the pan sides.
Serve with caramel sauce and whipped cream on top, if desired. Enjoy!
