Ritz Carlton Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce - even pumpkin haters will love this cheesecake. We ate it at the hotel and didn't realize it was pumpkin! It was AMAZING! Gingersnap crust, sugar, corn starch, cream cheese, butter, eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice. Can make ahead of time and freeze for later! Perfect for your holiday meal!
Combine all ingredients and press against sides and bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. (I use a measuring cup to do this - works great!)
Cheesecake
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend sugar, cornstarch, and butter. Add cream cheese, beat until soft, scrape the bowl well. On first speed add eggs slowly, scrape the bowl well. Add cream and vanilla. Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to the cheesecake batter.
Pour in the pan (may have some leftover batter) and bake for 45 minutes, rotate bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until cheesecake has risen and feels firm on top.
Cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Caramel Sauce
Caramelize butter and sugar in a saucepan until medium amber color. Whisk in cream, may splatter hot liquid. Cool and drizzle over cheesecake.
Notes:
I used gingersnap crumbs for the crust. Feel free to substitute graham cracker crumbs if you prefer.I like to wrap the bottom of the springform pan with foil. This will keep the butter in the crust from seeping out and getting all over the oven.This cheesecake is NOT baked in a water bath. I've never had any issues with the cheesecake cracking. It will puff up a little bit, but it settles down and looks perfect after it cools off.I like to refrigerate the cheesecake overnight. It just really helps the cheesecake set up and it tastes better cold.Before serving, prepare the homemade caramel sauce. Serve the cheesecake with the caramel sauce. SO good! You can use store-bought caramel topping if you prefer.You can make this cheesecake ahead of time and freeze for later. Take the cheesecake out of the freezer the night before serving so it can thaw. If you are in a hurry, let the cheesecake thaw on the countertop for about 30 minutes. You can also freeze any leftovers for later.