Ingredients:

  • 200g Gingersnap cookie crumbs
  • 50g Granulated sugar
  • 85g Unsalted butter, melted
  • 0.5 tsp Ground ginger
  • 900g Full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 200g Light brown sugar, packed
  • 100g Granulated sugar
  • 425g Pure pumpkin puree
  • 60g Full-fat sour cream
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp Pumpkin pie spice
  • 4 Large eggs, room temperature

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Mix the 200g gingersnap crumbs, 50g granulated sugar, 85g melted butter, and 0.5 tsp ground ginger until it looks like wet, dark sand.
  2. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of your 9 inch springform pan. Note: Use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to get a perfectly even base.
  3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it smells toasted and spicy. Remove it and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
  4. Lower the oven to 160°C (325°F). Beat 900g softened cream cheese, 200g brown sugar, and 100g granulated sugar on medium low until the mixture is glossy and smooth.
  5. Add the 425g pumpkin puree, 60g sour cream, 2 tsp vanilla, and 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice. Mix until the color is a uniform, pale orange.
  6. Add the 4 room temperature eggs one at a time. Mix on the lowest speed only until the yellow streaks just disappear.
  7. Prepare a roasting pan on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with about an inch of boiling water.
  8. Pour the batter onto the cooled crust. Place the pan on the middle rack directly above the steaming water.
  9. Bake for 65–75 minutes. The edges should look set and slightly puffed, but the center 2 inches should still wobble like Jello.
  10. Turn off the heat. Crack the oven door slightly and let the cake sit for 30 minutes to temper the cooling process. Chill for 6 hours before even thinking about slicing.