I don't think I've made any secret of my love for pumpkin, especially at this time of year when it just seems like the most perfect ingredient to bake with and flavour everything from cakes and muffins to bread to doughnuts and macarons to...the world's your oyster. Or, rather, pumpkin. So this year I'm incredibly excited to join up with the fabulous Aimee Twigger from Twigg Studios and Sara Cornelius from Cake Over Steak and a whole host of exceptionally talented bloggers and foodies for a Virtual Pumpkin Party. There are tons of brilliant recipes to inspire you so to join the fun, just look for the hashtag #virtualpumpkinparty on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! And at the bottom of this blog post, you'll find the list of all the bloggers and recipes that have joined the party this year :)
I first got my liking for pumpkin when my parents lived in Toronto and I experienced the beautiful thanksgiving desserts (my all time favourite one is Pumpkin Pie) and I fell in love with Pumpkin Waffle Mix from Williams-Sonoma -- and I think this was made even more exciting that there were only short windows of time when their pumpkin pie and waffle mix was available (much like their Rocky Road at Christmas) so you had to stock up big-time and exhaust your pumpkin cravings all in one go. It was worth flying from London to Toronto just to stock my pantry with tins of this pumpkin gold!
For this year's Virtual Pumpkin Party, I decided to make a Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake and in this rich silky dessert you will find individual layers of both pumpkin and chocolate cheesecakes on top of a buttery bourbon biscuit base. It's the perfect end to a party with friends and is totally indulgent and feels super special. My seven inch round cheesecake deliverers eight *very* generous portions, especially with it being so rich, decadent and filling.
I wasn't sure my boys would enjoy this cheesecake, but I'm finding more and more that when I can disguise vegetables IN desserts (probably helped here by the beautiful chocolatey cheesecake on top) they are so much more willing to try it and once they have their first spoonful, they are smitten! Personally I love the layer of orange in the middle of the cheesecake which you can't see from the outside so it delivers a lovely surprise when you cut into it. Every time I make this cheesecake it's an absolute winner with adults and children alike.
I hope you love this dessert as much as we all do and if you are a fan of pumpkin, please do check out all of the amazing bakes below the recipe here - you're sure to be inspired! 🎃
Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
makes a 7 inch cheesecake to serve 8 people
Ingredients
Bourbon Biscuit Base
- 125G UNSALTED BUTTER
- 250G CHOCOLATE BOURBON BISCUITS
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 110G FULL FAT CREAM CHEESE (at room temperature)
- 210G MASCARPONE CHEESE (at room temperature)
- 40G CASTER SUGAR
- 2 LARGE EGGS
- 100G PUMPKIN PUREE (I use canned pumpkin here but you can make your own if you prefer by boiling the pumpkin until tender and then blitzing it into a puree)
- 2 TSP PUMPKIN SPICE
Chocolate Cheesecake
- 55G FULL FAT CREAM CHEESE (at room temperature)
- 105G MASCARPONE CHEESE (at room temperature)
- 20G CASTER SUGAR
- 1 LARGE EGG
- 15G COCOA POWDER
- 30G MILK OR DARK CHOCOLATE (in small pieces)
Method
- Grease a 7 inch cake tin with butter and then base line it with baking paper
- Put the bourbon biscuits into a food processor and blitz until they resemble fine crumbs
- Melt the butter and then mix it together with the crushed biscuits
- Press the biscuits into the base of the tin, pressing down so they form a layer with no gaps
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes
- After 20 mins of chilling the base, make the Pumpkin Cheesecake filling
- Put 110g cream cheese, 210g mascarpone and 40g sugar into a stand mixer and beat together until smooth
- Add the 2 eggs one at a time with the mixer on medium speed
- Add 100g pumpkin puree and 2 tsp pumpkin spice and mix together on medium speed until well blended -- make sure you scrape down the sides of your bowl here so the mixture if fully mixed
- Then pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and pop back in the refrigerator for another 30 mins
- After 20 mins of chilling the cheesecake, make the Chocolate Cheesecake
- Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees (fan)
- Melt the milk or dark chocolate and set aside -- you can use a mix of the chocolates if you prefer depending on your taste preferences
- Put 55g cream cheese, 105g mascarpone and 20g sugar into a stand mixer and beat together until smooth
- Add the egg with the mixer on medium speed
- Add the cocoa and continue to mix
- Finally add the melted chocolate with the mixer still running at medium speed
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and ensure that all the ingredients are fully incorporated
- Spoon the mixture on top of the pumpkin base
- It will be difficult to spread the chocolate filling as the pumpkin layer will still be very liquidy so I dollop small spoonfuls of the chocolate on top of the pumpkin layer and then swirl them together
- Bake for around an hour - when the cheesecake's ready it should be well risen and have a slight wobble in the middle
- Turn off your oven, open the door slightly and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour
- Then refrigerate until you're ready to serve (if you want to take away the chill, remove it from the fridge 30-60 mins before serving)
- Dust with cocoa powder
- And enjoy :)
If you'd to check out the other awe-inspiring recipes from the #virtualpumpkinparty, feast your eyes on this amazing collection:
Cake Over Steak • Quick Pumpkin and Kale Risotto + Arancini
Twigg Studios • Sausage Stuffing Baked in a Pumpkin
Donuts, Dresses and Dirt • Pumpkin Spice Latte Popsicles
Cloudy Kitchen • Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla German Buttercream
Vegetarian Ventures • Smoky Pumpkin & Black Sesame Hummus
Eat Boutique • Pumpkin Scallion Dumplings
A Little Saffron • Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
Two Red Bowls • Pumpkin & Maple Caramel Baked French Toast
Wallflower Kitchen • Mini Pumpkin & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Wit & Vinegar • Pumpkin Butterscotch Banana Split
Style Sweet CA • Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cake
Nommable • Pumpkin Biscuits with Mushroom Thyme Gravy
With Food + Love • Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Seed Bread
Hortus • Creamy Roasted Squash Soup + Pumpkin Risotto
Sevengrams • Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Jojotastic • 1 Pumpkin, 2 Ways: Pumpkin Trail Mix & Dog Treats
Grain Changer • Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
Girl Versus Dough • Pumpkin Cranberry Flax Crisps
Earthy Feast • Pumpkin Grits + Pumpkin Home Fries + a Fried Egg
Harvest and Honey • Truffled Pumpkin Papardelle Alfredo with Frizzled Sage
Tasty Seasons • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Broma Bakery • Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts
Tending the Table • Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Salad
The Sugar Hit • Super Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Delicious Not Gorgeous • Waffles with Spiced Pumpkin Butter and Brown Sugar Walnut Crumble
Taste Love and Nourish • Pumpkin Bread Pudding
The Green Life • Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chunk & Hazelnut Skillet Cookie (Vegan)
Foolproof Living • Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Pasta with Sage
The Monday Box • Pumpkin Butterscotch Cakes
Design Crush • Pumpkin Bourbon Hot Toddy
The Road to Honey • Pumpkin Pie & Chocolate Layer Cake
My Name is Yeh • Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt and Hazelnut Dukkah
Give Recipe • Orange Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Heartbeet Kitchen • Magic Vegan Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Beard and Bonnet • Marbled Pumpkin Muffins
Eat Within Your Means • Vegan Pumpkin Blender Muffins
Snixy Kitchen • Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding with Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Ruby Josephine • Moroccan Sweet Pumpkin + Beef Tagine
Lab Noon • Pasta Bake with Roasted Pumpkin and Saffron Sauce, Pistachio and Goat Cheese
An Edible Mosaic • Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding
Hey Modest Marce • Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie
Inspired By the Seasons • Pumpkin Applesauce Smoothie
CaliGirl Cooking • Pumpkin Praline Cinnamon Rolls with Spiked Cream Cheese Glaze
Sally’s Baking Addiction • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Well and Full • Spicy Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus
Appeasing a Food Geek • Cheese Fondue Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin
SweetPhi • Pumpkin Chili Biscuit Bake
Warm Vanilla Sugar • Buttermilk Pumpkin Doughnuts
Mademoiselle Poirot • Cinnamon-Pumpkin Mousse on Honey Panna Cotta topped with Hazelnut Brittle
Heart of a Baker • Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Flourishing Foodie • Massaman Curry with Pumpkin and Chickpeas
Ginger & Toasted Sesame • Pumpkin Jeon
Lindsay Jang • Best Ever DIY Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Fix Feast Flair • Hokkaido Pumpkin + Sage Mac and Gouda
Will Frolic for Food • Pumpkin Kale Patties with Coconut Cilantro Rice
A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin Pecan Baked Steel Cut Oats
Vermilion Red • Pumpkin Pie Souffle
B. Britnell • Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Displaced Housewife • Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts
Sweet Gula • Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
La Pêche Fraîche • Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes
Kitchen Konfidence • Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Rosemary Brown Butter Sauce
Loves Food, Loves to Eat • Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Kale & Caramel • Goat Cheese & Sage-Stuffed Pumpkin Challah
Okie Dokie Artichokie • Pumpkin Chorizo Chili with Sweet Potatoes + Pinto Beans
Salted Plains • Easy Pumpkin Bread
Liliahna • Chicken Legs with Pumpkin and Tortellini
TermiNatetor Kitchen • Whole Wheat, Pumpkin & Brown Sugar Brioche
Vermilion Roots • Sweet Rice Dumplings with Pumpkin
Celebrate Creativity • Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Tarts
Serendipity Bakes • Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
So Much Yum • Vegan Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
The Brick Kitchen • Pumpkin, Pecan & White Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
Lisli • Pumpkin Pie Cake
Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt • Pumpkin Pie Dip
Fig+Bleu • Pumpkin Granola
The Speckled Palate • Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Blondies
Cook Til Delicious • Fall Cliche Cake (Pumpkin Spice Cake / Maple Cream Cheese Frosting / Apple Cider Caramel Sauce)
Floating Kitchen • Chicken and Pumpkin Chili
The Wood and Spoon • Pumpkin Pecan Cake with Burnt Sugar Frosting
Fork Vs Spoon • Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Lemon & Vanilla • Pumpkin and Coconut Caramel Flan
Dunk & Crumble • Pumpkin Chocolate Icebox Cake
Chicano Eats • Pumpkin Butter Pan de Muerto
On the Plate • Pumpkin Pancakes, Salted Caramel & Pecans
Rough Measures • Cosy Pumpkin Spice Latte (Caffeine and Dairy Free)
Brewing Happiness • Pumpkin Ginger Breakfast Cookies
A Butterful Mind • Pumpkin Cheesecake with Vanilla Whipped Cream
The Little Loaf • Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Fork to Belly • Pumpkin Gnocchi
The Little Epicurean • Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie
Bourbon and Honey • Spicy Roasted Pumpkin with Honey and Feta
What to Cook Today • Spicy Pumpkin Noodle Soup
Food by Mars • Pumpkin Pie (Grain-Free, Diary-Free)
The Bojon Gourmet • Pumpkin Butterscotch Pudding
Oh Honey Bakes • Pumpkin Cake with Gingersnap Toffee
Long Distance Baking • Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Jam Lab • Pumpkin Madeleines Dipped in White Chocolate
The Lemon Apron • Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with an Olive Oil Glaze
Sun Diego Eats • Thai Pumpkin & Sticky Rice Cakes
A Cozy Kitchen • Pumpkin Chai Scones with Black Tea Glaze
A Cookie Named Desire • Pumpkin Shrubs
Eating Clean Recipes • Vegan Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Kingfield Kitchen • Vegan Fresh Pumpkin Soup
Drink and Cocktail Recipes • Pumpkin Dirty Chai
The Pig & Quill • Pumpkin Sage Cannelloni (Dairy-Free)
My Lavender Blues • Pumpkin, Banana & Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Betty Liu • Pumpkin + Pear Butter Baked Melty Cheese
Happy Hearted Kitchen • Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin with Tahini Yogurt + Hazelnut Dukkah
InHappenstance • Pumpkin Scones with Maple Butter
Live Eat Learn • Pumpkin Gingerbread Hot Cocoa