You will need:

• Oven (have tried a toaster oven, don’t recommend)
• Hand mixer
• 9″ springform pan (you might get away with a regular pan, but a springform is so much easier)
• Big sheet-pan / cookie sheet (to catch any overflow)

Ingredients:

• 900g / 4 blocks of Cream Cheese (solid stuff not the spreadable)
• 150g Caster Sugar (you can double this if you like things sweeter)
• 6 Large Eggs
• 60g Cornstarch
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (or Bean Paste if you are feeling fancy)
• 360ml Heavy Cream
• 350g (ish) of pureed Pumpkin
• 2 (ish) tsp Pumpkin Spice to taste
  • I am lazy and buy premixed, but your own blend will be better i expect.

Method:

• Try to remember to pull the Cream Cheese and Eggs out of the fridge a couple hours before you begin, inevitably forget and don’t worry about it.
• Start preheating the the oven to 465° (240°C), put a big sheetpan on the lowest shelf
• Line a 9″ springform cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper
  • I find if i use a couple cans i can smoosh the parchment paper to shape with some rustic crinkly edges
  • The Cheesecake is going in as a liquid you want to make sure there are no leaks, try to use a single piece.
• Cut up the Cream Cheese into rough cubes, put them in a bowl and add the Sugar.
• Beat them with the hand mixer on a medium speed, till it’s smooth (about 3 min)
  • If (like me) you forgot to take the Cream Cheese out of the fridge, start slow and you should be fine (it’ll just take longer)
• Add the eggs 1-2 at a time, whisk well between/after the eggs
• Sprinkle the Cornstarch & the Pumpkin Spice in (sieve if you are feeling fancy), whisk briefly
• Add the Vanilla and the Pumpkin, whisk well, till it’s all the same colour, no streaks/lumps
• Slowly stream the cream in whilst continuing to whisk.
• Pour the mixture into the pan (it’ll probably be quite full) & put in the pre-heated oven.
• Bake for about 25/30 min and check it
  • When done:
    • the top will be dark brown (not actually burnt but it’s not ready if the top hasn’t gone a lot darker) and …
    • the middle is set (still soft, but not in any way liquid), and …
    • A Toothpick in the middle will come out totally clean and you feel resistance all the way in
  • Keep giving it another 5 min till it seems done (can take 40, depends on your oven a bit)
• When it looks done, turn the oven off and leave the door slightly open (wedge a wooden spoon in the door)
• Let it sit in the cooling oven for at least 10 minutes (or till you inevitably remember it)
• Put it in the fridge ideally overnight (you will get away with a couple hours, but letting it set firm overnight does give a more solid texture)

Serving:

• I like to serve this with whipped cream & canned Cherry Pie fill, but anything sweet would probably be awesome. I typically, whip up the rest of the 1l carton i bought whilst i have the tools out) and canned pie filling/topping to taste