Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake: A Fall Twist on a Viral Classic

Bon Appetit food editor Kendra Vaculin walks through a seasonal riff on the magazine's popular Basque cheesecake recipe. The idea is simple: take the burnt, custardy original and fold in canned pumpkin and warm spices to make something that tastes like pumpkin pie but holds together like cheesecake.

How It Comes Together

The entire batter is built in a stand mixer. The base is a standard Basque cheesecake batter, with cream cheese beaten smooth, but eggs and canned pumpkin get added directly into the bowl along with the usual pumpkin pie spices (think cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg). The warm-toned batter is visibly orange as it comes together.

A 9-inch springform pan is lined with parchment paper. Vaculin recommends crinkling the parchment first so it conforms to the pan more easily. The batter goes in and bakes for about an hour.

The Jiggle Test and Cooling

When the cheesecake comes out of the oven, the top is deeply bronzed with the signature Basque char, and the center still wobbles. That jiggle is intentional. It signals a creamy, tender interior rather than an overbaked one.

Patience matters here. The cheesecake needs to cool completely before slicing, either on the countertop or overnight in the fridge. Cutting too early means it will not hold its shape. Once cooled and sliced, the interior is a dense, smooth pumpkin-colored custard. The finished cake is topped with whipped cream and served in thick wedges.

Key Takeaways

• This is a seasonal variation of Bon Appetit's existing Basque cheesecake recipe, not a from-scratch formula
• The whole batter is made in a stand mixer, so there is no fussy layering or water bath involved
• Canned pumpkin and standard pumpkin pie spices are the only additions to the original recipe
• A jiggly center out of the oven is correct and means the texture will be creamy once set
• Cool the cake fully before cutting, overnight in the fridge if you can wait