When pumpkin cake and cheesecake combine forces, we have pumpkin cake cheesecake! Each forkful of this divine dessert includes creamy cheesecake and deliciously spiced pumpkin cake. For a little something extra, top with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and finish with chopped pecans.

Today’s recipe was inspired by my favorite pumpkin cheesecake muffins. What a way to start the day! Craving the combination for dessert, I decided to combine pumpkin cake and cheesecake together in a springform pan. I coin this dessert duo “double trouble.” 😉

Sadly, the first try was pretty disappointing. There’s so much moisture in the main ingredients that I had to spend a few extra days testing my recipe idea (and my patience!). I was so determined for this to work. Thankfully the pumpkin cake cheesecake finally came together and I’m thrilled to share the recipe success with you today!

Pumpkin Cake Cheesecake Ingredients

There are two parts to this dessert: the pumpkin cake and the cheesecake. Most ingredients are repeated in each layer:

Block Cream Cheese Granulated Sugar Sour Cream or Yogurt Vanilla Extract All-Purpose Flour Eggs Oil Brown Sugar Pumpkin Puree (fresh or canned) Baking Soda Spices Salt

Blot the Pumpkin

You can use fresh or canned pumpkin in the pumpkin cake batter. I recommend sticking with canned pumpkin as it’s usually thicker and sturdier for baking. Whichever pumpkin you use, make sure you blot it prior to using in the cake. Why? In my recipe testing, I found that in order to get enough pumpkin flavor you need 1 and 1/3 cups of pumpkin. However, this amount will weigh down your cake, making it taste heavy and even a little soggy. So, before using it, place the pumpkin in a bowl lined with a paper towel. Place two more paper towels on top of it. Blot the pumpkin to expel as much moisture as you can. Then, add the blotted-dry pumpkin to the wet ingredients as instructed in the recipe.

I do this when I make my brown butter pumpkin oatmeal cookies too.

How to Make Pumpkin Cake Cheesecake

Begin the recipe by making both batters: the cheesecake and the pumpkin cake. Use an electric hand or stand mixer for the cheesecake and a whisk for the pumpkin cake. After you prep both batters, spoon 1 and 1/2 cups of the pumpkin cake batter into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. This will be the base of the entire cake. After that, begin spooning the rest of the pumpkin cake batter and the cheesecake batter on top. Alternate spoonfuls of the batters until both are used up.

No need to swirl the batters together; the spotty randomness bakes into a beautifully swirled cheesecake cake.

Cooling & Chilling

Because of all the moisture, this cheesecake cake takes awhile to bake and cool. Not a problem for those of you with a whole afternoon to spare, but if you’re looking for a quick pumpkin recipe, this cake isn’t it. Bake it for at least 1 hour, then turn off the oven and leave the cake inside. This is actually one of my tricks for avoiding cracks in cheesecake. The sudden temperature change from inside the oven to outside the oven is simply too shocking for all eggs and moisture in this dessert. Let the cake cool inside the oven as it cools.

Once it cools down, remove the pumpkin cake cheesecake from the oven and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or until completely firm. Overnight would be great!

Optional Cream Cheese Frosting

I don’t usually call cream cheese frosting “optional,” but in this case, it definitely is! The dessert is pretty sweet on its own, but a thin layer of cream cheese frosting is a delicious finishing touch. For the cream cheese frosting, you need 1/2 of a block of cream cheese (4 ounces total), butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and a splash of milk to thin it out. It tastes just like my full recipe for cream cheese frosting— it’s simply scaled down.

More Thanksgiving Desserts

clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon print print icon squares squares icon Pumpkin Cake Cheesecake ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 from 8 reviews Author: Sally

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 65 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: serves 12

Category: Dessert

Method: Baking

Cuisine: American Print Pin Description When pumpkin cake and cheesecake combine forces, we have pumpkin cake cheesecake! For a little something extra, top with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and finish with chopped pecans. Ingredients Cheesecake two 8 -ounce blocks ( 448g ; 16 ounces ) full-fat cream cheese , softened to room temperature

-ounce blocks ( ; ) , softened to room temperature 3/4 cup ( 150g ) granulated sugar

( ) 1/4 cup ( 60g ) plain yogurt or sour cream *

( ) or * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon ( 8g ) all-purpose flour

( ) 3 large eggs, at room temperature Pumpkin Cake 3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil

(180ml) 1 cup ( 200g ) packed light or dark brown sugar

( ) packed light or dark 2 large eggs , at room temperature

large , at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 and 1/3 cups ( 318g ) pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)*

and 1/3 cups ( ) (canned or fresh)* 1 cup ( 125g ) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

( ) (spoon & leveled) 1 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

and 1/2 teaspoons 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*

1/4 teaspoon salt Cream Cheese Frosting 4 ounces ( 112g ) block full-fat cream cheese , softened to room temperature

( ) , softened to room temperature 2 Tablespoons ( 16g ) unsalted butter , softened to room temperature

( ) , softened to room temperature 2 cups ( 240g ) confectioners’ sugar

( ) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 – 2 Tablespoons (15-30ml) milk

– Tablespoons (15-30ml) optional: chopped pecans Instructions Adjust oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap aluminum foil on the bottom and tightly around the outside walls of the springform pan, as shown in photos on my How to Prevent Cheesecake Cracks page. Set aside. Make the cheesecake first: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and flour and beat until combined. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Do not over-mix the filling after you have added the eggs. Set aside. Make the pumpkin cake: In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and blotted-dry pumpkin (see notes) together until combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until no large lumps remain. Avoid over-mixing the pumpkin cake batter. Spread 1 and 1/2 cups of the pumpkin cake batter into the bottom of prepared pan. On top of the pumpkin batter, begin dropping large spoonfuls of both the cheesecake batter and pumpkin batter, alternating one after the other. It doesn’t have to be neat or perfect. Do not swirl with a knife. See photo above of what my cake looked like before going into the oven. Place the springform pan into a large roasting pan and place into the oven. Fill with about 1 inch of hot water. The foil wrapped around the pan will prevent water from leaking inside. Click here to read more about my cheesecake water bath. Bake for 65-75 minutes or until the center is almost set.* If you find the edges are browning, loosely place aluminum foil on top of the cake as it bakes. Once done, turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven in the water bath for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, peel the aluminum foil off the bottom, wipe pan dry with a towel, then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight (preferred). After chilling, run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the rim. Remove the rim. Make the cream cheese frosting. (This can be made up to 2 days in advance – cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.) Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then turn up to high speed and beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in 1-2 Tablespoons of milk, depending how thick or thin you want the frosting. Spread onto chilled cheesecake. Top with pecans, if desired. Cut into slices and serve cheesecake chilled. Cover leftover cheesecake and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Notes Freezing Instructions: Cover pumpkin cake cheesecake tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. I used plain, low fat Greek yogurt. Any plain yogurt (nonfat, low fat, full fat, Greek, regular) or (low-fat, full-fat) sour cream will be fine. Pumpkin is an extremely wet ingredient. In my recipe testing, I found that in order to get enough pumpkin flavor you need 1 and 1/3 cups of pumpkin. However, this amount will weigh down your cake, making it taste heavy and even a little soggy. So, before using it, place the pumpkin in a bowl lined with a paper towel. Place two more paper towels on top of it. Blot the pumpkin to expel as much moisture as you can. Then, add the blotted-dry pumpkin to the wet ingredients as instructed in the recipe. Instead of pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon all-spice. When the cheesecake is done, there will still be a 2 inch wobbly spot in the center; the texture will smooth out as it cools. Keywords: pumpkin, thanksgiving, pumpkin cake, cheesecake

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