Pumpkin Mascarpone Cheesecake with Candied Cinnamon Pecans

Are you loving all the pumpkin content we have for you this year?? We love pumpkin, and we bring to you another incredible recipe that we know you will want to try. This Pumpkin Mascarpone Cheesecake is so creamy and decadent, with the best texture I have had in a cheesecake! You will probably make it more than once!

What is in the Pumpkin Mascarpone Cheesecake?

This pumpkin cheesecake is made with a combination – equal parts – cream cheese and mascarpone. Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese that has a lighter and creamier texture than regular cream cheese, with a much more mild flavor. Using mascarpone cheese results in the creamy texture of this cheesecake rather than a more dense traditional version.

The crust on this cheesecake is a variation of a traditional graham cracker crust. We used a combination of graham crackers and toasted pecans added to a food processor with a blend of Fall spices, sugar and brown butter.

Why use brown butter over regular butter?

Using brown butter gives this crust a deeper, nuttier flavor compared to simply using regular melted butter. Brown butter is super easy to make by melting butter in a sauce man and allowing the milk solids to brown slightly until it smells fragrant and nutty. Find the recipe for brown butter HERE if you have never made it before.

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?

Yes! You definitely can and we typically recommend this over the canned versions that often have other additives or preservatives. If you have never made your own pumpkin puree, it is very simple and you can see our instructions HERE.

Can I use Pumpkin Pie Spice instead?

Yep, you sure can! We highly recommend using the spices we listed in the recipe below freshly ground. This will result in a more complex flavor profile that is much better than the pumpkin pie spice blend. But if you want, you can instead use the equivalent amount of pumpkin pie spice for the total amount of these individual spices listed (cloves, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg).

How to make cheesecake

Cheesecake often seems intimidating, but like any cake or pie, it just requires a bit of time and attention.

Do I need a springform pan?

You should use a springform pan if you want to make a traditional cheesecake. If you don’t have one, you can make this in any old pie or cake dish, although you may need to adjust the cooking time depending on how shallow your dish is. Because we use a 9″ springform pan, the cheesecake ends up being around 3 inches thick, so plan accordingly. Additionally, this recipe makes enough filling for that particular pan, so if you use a different dish, or may have more or less filling and pie crust.

Do I need to bake the cheesecake in a water bath?

Baking cheesecake in a water bath allows the cheesecake to cook more evenly and prevents cracking. To create a water bath, we use a large roasting pan and pour the boiling water around our aluminum foil wrapped springform pan. Th foil blocks the water from seeping into the springform to ensure your crust doesn’t get soggy. You should pour enough water to fill the roasting pan about halfway up the outside of the springform pan. Whenever we bake our cheesecakes using the water bath method, we always achieve a nice smooth top and no cracks.

How long do I need to wait before I can eat the cheesecake?

After the cheesecake is finished baking, it needs to sit out at room temp for about 2 hours. Then it should be refrigerated for at least 6 hours or overnight to ensure that it sets correctly. So you will need to plan ahead if you want to enjoy this for a special event, like Thanksgiving.

How do I know if my cheesecake is done?

When baking the cheesecake, you will notice that the top browns slightly and looks smooth. If you gently wiggle the pan, you may notice that the cheesecake is wobbly. A little wobble, similar to jello, is completely fine, but if you notice that yours looks very wobbly and ripples the top, then you will need to bake it a bit longer. We recommend reducing the heat to 325° F and baking for 5 minute increments. Depending on your oven it could possibly take an additional 20+ minutes. Once the cheesecake is removed from the oven and sits at room temp, you will notice that it will set and become less and less wobbly until it feels fairly solid. After sitting overnight in the fridge, your cheesecake will be completely set with zero wobble.

How should I store my cheesecake?

If you don’t eat this whole thing in one sitting, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze and enjoy within 1-2 months.

Enjoy!

We hope you enjoy this Pumpkin Mascarpone Cheesecake recipe! If you give it a try leave us a comment below, or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

Also, check out our Brown Butter Bourbon Caramel Sauce to drizzle allllllll over this cheesecake!

If you like this recipe, check out some of our other pumpkin favorites below:

• Pumpkin Spice Butter Cake aka “Crack Cake”
• Pumpkin Spice White Russian Cocktail
• Pumpkin Passion Fruit Spice Cake
• Pumpkin and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Pumpkin Mascarpone Cheesecake with Candied Cinnamon Pecans

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Recipe by Angela and Mark Course: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Resting Time

8

minutes

Ingredients

• Crust

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbles (broken up aggressively with your hands – about 12 crackers)

• ⅓ cup toasted chopped pecans

• 8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, browned (brown butter)

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• ¼ tsp fresh ground cloves

• ¼ tsp fresh ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp fresh ground allspice

• ⅛ tsp fresh ground nutmeg

• Filling

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened

• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened

• ¼ cup light brown sugar

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 eggs

• 16 oz fresh pumpkin puree or canned pure pumpkin puree

• ⅓ cup heavy cream

• ¾ tsp fresh ground cloves

• ¾ tsp fresh ground cinnamon

• ¾ tsp fresh ground allspice

• ¼ tsp fresh ground nutmeg

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• Candied Cinnamon Pecans

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• 2 tbsp water

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• ¾ cup pecans

• Brown Butter Bourbon Caramel Sauce (Optional)

• 1 recipe Caramel Sauce

Directions

• CRUST
• Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment and spray with Baker’s Joy.
• Add graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until they are rough crumbs and measure, adding more if necessary, you should have 2 cups of the crumbs when you are done. Remove from the bowl and set aside.
• Toast the pecans per the link if you have time. If not, it’s best to toast on a skillet over low heat for a longer period of time (12 minutes or so) than on medium high for 3-4 minutes so as not to scorch the pecan oils and for a better flavor. Remove from heat and add to the food processor bowl.
• Melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan and cook until the milk solids are brown, and it smells nutty – making a brown butter. Remove from heat and reserve.
• In the food processor bowl, add graham crackers to the pecans, then add the brown butter, sugar and spices.
• When processed, press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and about ¾ inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes and then cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. When done, set aside.
• FILLING
• Using a mixer (stand mixer is easiest if available) combine cream cheese, mascarpone, brown sugar and sugar and beat until light. This will take a couple of minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated on low speed. Add the pureed pumpkin and heavy cream and mix.
• Add the spices and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
• Pour batter into the prepared crust in the springform pan. Wrap the springform pan with aluminum foil (double or even triple wrap this) to keep water from penetrating the pan. Put the springform pan into a roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with very hot water – about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake.
• Baking
• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Put the roasting pan with the cheesecake in the oven for one hour. Check, looking for the edge of the cheesecake to be set, but not browning. The middle should not be set fully. If you need to let set for additional time, reduce heat to 325° and check in 5-minute increments.
• When done, turn the oven off and remove the roasting pan from the oven and remove the cheesecake from the water bath.
• Let the cheesecake sit for at least two hours at room temperature.
• When cooled, top the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Serve with whipped cream or caramel sauce or as-is.
• CANDIED CINNAMON PECANS
• In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, add brown sugar, water, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
• Cook sugar mixture until the surface bubbles (approximate 3-5 minutes) and all the sugar has dissolved.
• Reduce heat to low and add pecans and a pinch of salt. Stir until pecans are coated completely. Continue cooking pecans for another 2-3 minutes.
• Spread pecans out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
• Store pecans in an airtight container. Top cheesecake with pecans before serving.

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