Pumpkin Cheesecake (a Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

Total Time: 3 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (divided use)
• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 3/4 cups sugar (divided use)
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus
• 1 pinch salt (divided use)
• 2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 6 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
• 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Recipe

• 1 position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• 2 brush a 10 inch springform pan with some of the butter;stir remaining butter into graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar and pinch salt.
• 3 press mixture into bottom and up sides of pan , packing it tightly and evenly.
• 4 bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• 5 cool on rack, then wrap outside of springform pan with heavy duty foil and place in a roasting pan.
• 6 bring a medium pot of water to boil.
• 7 meanwhile beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth; add remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down sides of bowl and beaters as needed.
• 8 beat in the sour cream, then add pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and beat until just combined; pour into cooled crust.
• 9 without pulling rack out, gently place roasting pan in oven and pour boiling water into roasting pan until it comes about halfway up side of springform pan.
• 10 bake until outside of cheesecake sets but center is still loose, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• 11 turn off oven and open door briefly to let out some heat.
• 12 leave cheesecake in oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from roasting pan and cool on a rack.
• 13 run a knife around edges of springform pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• 14 bring cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
• 15 unlock and remove springform ring.
• 16 to finish, place a dollop of whipped cream on each slice and sprinkile with toasted pecans.