Halloween is just around the corner, which means it's time to stock up on a simple, straightforward, and — most importantly — themed recipe. And today I have exactly that for you! I used a classic cheesecake ratio as the base, but since it's Halloween, I made it with pumpkin purée. To complement the pumpkin flavor and tone it down for those who aren't big fans, I added orange zest and orange juice, along with vanilla sugar and cinnamon. I topped everything off with a creamy frosting and chocolate. The result was just amazing — a delicate, creamy cheesecake with bright notes of orange, vanilla, and cinnamon, crowned with a gorgeous white swirl of frosting! It came out so delicious that everyone kept asking for seconds… and nobody was scared)))
Ingredients:
- 400 g cream cheese or full-fat cottage cheese
- 100 g pumpkin purée
- 100 g 15% heavy cream
- 90 g sugar
- 15 g cornstarch
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon (level)
- zest of one orange
- Topping:
- 150 g 33% heavy cream
- 50 g cream cheese
- 1–2 tsp powdered sugar
- dark chocolate for decoration
How to cook halloween pumpkin cheesecakes
Prepare the pumpkin purée. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into pieces. Microwave until completely soft, about 5–7 minutes (if liquid has released, drain it off). If you don't have a microwave, you can roast it in the oven instead. Alternatively, add a small amount of water to a saucepan and simmer until soft, then drain in a colander until all the liquid has run off. I use the microwave.
Blend the pumpkin with an immersion blender until smooth, then let it cool. This time, 250 g of peeled pumpkin yielded 100 g of finished purée.
Make the cheesecake filling. Place the cottage cheese or cream cheese in a bowl, then add the eggs and heavy cream. I used 200 g cream cheese and 200 g 9% cottage cheese (400 g total). Lately, this combination has been my absolute favorite for cheesecake.
Blend everything thoroughly with an immersion blender. This step is especially important if you're using cottage cheese — the mixture needs to be completely smooth and lump-free! If you're using cream cheese, you can simply mix everything together with a whisk.
Bake in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) for approximately 25–35 minutes. Cheesecakes bake best at this lower temperature — it gives them a flat, even top and a delicate, creamy texture.
Prepare the topping — whip the heavy cream, then add the cream cheese and powdered sugar and whip a little more. Pipe or spread the topping onto the cheesecakes.
Melt the chocolate (about 30 g should be enough), transfer it to a piping cone or a sturdy zip-lock bag, and snip off a small corner. Decorate as you like. For the spiderweb, I drew a spiral starting from the center, then used a toothpick to drag seven lines through it, alternating directions each time. And I think the second design speaks for itself!))
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