Copycat Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

Second November without Babcia Rose. The first November was sharp and structural, the grief still close to the surface, every tradition a reminder of absence. This November is different: the absence is familiar now, built into the architecture of things, and the traditions feel like honoring rather than missing, which is not the absence of missing but is a different relationship to it.

Dziadek Wally's daughter called Patty on Tuesday. He has been having some difficulty with his heart, manageable, being monitored, not urgent. He is ninety-five. He came to Sunday dinner anyway and he ate the mushroom soup I made and he said "good" which is what he says when something is right, the same word he used about Babcia Rose's soup, and I received it the same way I receive all of his assessments: with the full weight of what they cost to earn. He is still here. He is still at the table. This is the gift of November.

The master's program first semester ends in December. I have been averaging a B+ across the two courses, which would be higher except that Educational Research Methods requires me to think about statistics in a way that my brain resists and always has. I am making peace with statistics. Statistics and I are developing a working relationship based on mutual respect and the acknowledgment that I need it more than it needs me.

I made the mushroom soup from the notebook for the third November in a row. I could make it without the notebook now — I have it in my hands entirely — but I open the notebook anyway and I set it on the counter and I follow the steps, not because I need to but because the opening of the notebook is part of the ritual, the acknowledgment that this recipe came from somewhere specific and someone specific and that the somewhere and the someone are worth remembering every time. She is in the kitchen when I cook from her notebook. I keep her there on purpose. I intend to keep her there always.

The mushroom soup was Babcia Rose’s, and it always will be — but Sunday dinner doesn’t end with soup, and Dziadek Wally at ninety-five still has a sweet tooth that nobody argues with. This pumpkin cheesecake came at the end of the meal, dense and spiced and autumn-right, and I watched him take a second slice, which is the kind of thing you file away carefully and carry with you. November already gave me the gift of him at the table. The least I could do was give the table something worth staying for.

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Total Time: 5 hours 35 minutes (includes chilling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

Crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 14 full crackers)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
3 packages (8 oz each) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Topping
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the oven and pan. Preheat oven to 325°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan tightly with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the bottom and sides completely. This prevents water from seeping in during the water bath.
Make the crust. Combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Pour in melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared springform pan. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove and let cool while you make the filling. Keep the oven on.
Beat the cream cheese. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes until completely smooth and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add sugars and pumpkin. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the cream cheese and beat on medium until combined, about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Beat on low until fully incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.
Add eggs and sour cream. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended — do not overbeat. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix on low until just combined. The batter will be smooth and pourable.
Set up the water bath. Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Place the foil-wrapped springform pan inside a large roasting pan. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
Bake. Bake at 325°F for 55 to 65 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle (about a 2-inch wobble in the very center). Turn off the oven, crack the door open 1 inch, and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for 1 hour. This prevents cracking.
Make the sour cream topping. Whisk together the sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, discard the foil, and spread the topping evenly over the top while it is still warm.
Chill completely. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Run a thin knife around the edge before releasing the springform ring. Serve cold.

Nutrition (per serving)

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake — The Table Is Still Full