Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream (eggless)

Ahhhh, fall. All sorts of wonderful seasonal ingredients are abound in my neck of the woods, such as apples, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin. All of these lovely, healthful foods appeared on our Thanksgiving table this year. Of course, we made them much more... healthful... by adding all manner of sugars, creams, and cheeses to them!

Oops.  A little cheesecake fell into my pumpkin.

I do love when fall comes around, for various reasons.  One of the top reasons has to be that fall squashes are back in season.  I certainly feel fortunate to live somewhere that has all types of produce available year round.  But squash just doesn't taste its brightest in the summer months.  So I tend to become addicted to squash at this time of year.  I will indulge in steamed butternut squash several times a week.  Steamed pumpkin may also make it to my plate.

Of course, a generous dollop of whipped cream was required.  It just was.

However, despite the above ode to all things squashy, I am not a fan of canned pumpkin puree.  I fear it might be a major faux pas to admit that in the world of vegetarian food blogs.  It seems to show up in all sorts of recipes online.  I can't fault it as a convenience food with many health benefits.  But it does seem to have a tannic aftertaste and none of the sweetness that fresh pumpkin naturally has.  My exception to this dislike is using it in baked goods.  This is where pumpkin cheesecake makes its appearance.  This recipe happened almost by accident last year when I wanted to make a dessert for Thanksgiving that would be eggless.  I had a mostly full can of pumpkin puree (I was trying to incorporate it into my diet - I really did try!) and I knew that my egg allergy guest loved cheesecake.  It was one of those serendipitous moments in baking that happens once in a blue moon - I mixed a load of ingredients together and something edible emerged from the oven!  (This is a rare event.  I once baked 14 mini variations of an eggless Nutella cheesecake with the result of only one being even remotely edible >.<)

This recipe creates a dense cheesecake with a light pumpkin flavour.  I've had cinnamon and pumpkin haters happily eat this dessert.  It is also my only cheesecake recipe that has never cracked after baking!  The cinnamon topping was a quick last minute idea also, but it turned out so well that certain people have forbidden me from making this recipe without it!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream (eggless)

Makes 8-10 servings

Crust

• 1 and 1/4 cup crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp butter, melted

 Filling

• 16oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9-inch cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl.  Press graham mixture into the bottom of the cake tin and set aside.
3. Place cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix until combined, preferably with a hand blender for maximum smoothness.  Pour cheese mixture onto prepared graham crust.
4. Bake for 55-65 minutes until barely browning on edges and slightly puffed up.  Let cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5. A few minutes before serving, prepare the topping.  Place all topping ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Spread topping on cheesecake and serve!

I hope you enjoy :)