Gingerbread Cheesecake

Gingerbread Cheesecake is the perfect marriage of the classic holiday gingerbread dessert and the always popular cheesecake. Gingerbread Cheesecake is creamy and tangy and full of warm holiday flavors that is the perfect ending to your favorite holiday meal.

Gingerbread is one of my favorite flavors of the season. All the spices are just what this time of year is about. And this cheesecake has three great components that make it especially delicious – the buttery graham cracker crust, the thick and creamy cheesecake filling and the smooth homemade whipped cream topping. So fun!

Gingerbread Cheesecake

yield: 14-16 SERVINGS prep time: 10 MINUTES cook time: 1 HOUR additional time: 2 HOURS total time: 3 HOURS 10 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 3 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 3 packages of whipped cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1-2 tablespoons AP flour
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. If using the water bath technique, wrap the outside of your springform pan tightly in foil.

For the Graham Cracker Crust

1. Crush the graham crackers in a food processor until crumbs are fine.
2. Combine crumbs with melted butter, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, & ground cinnamon. Mix until well incorporated.
3. Add crumbs to cheesecake pan, distributing evenly, and pressing down flat firmly as you work the crumbs up the sides of the pan.

For the Cheesecake

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese for about 2 minutes until whipped smooth. I like to start on a low speed and work my way up to a high speed. You can also shortcut this by using whipped cream cheese rather than cream cheese blocks.
2. Add in brown sugar and beat until fully combined.
3. Add the eggs into cream cheese. Continue to beat on a medium-low speed.
4. Add in the molasses, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and gloves on a medium low speed until fully combined.
5. Lastly, blend in a AP flour.
6. Fill your graham cracker crust with your cheesecake batter.
7. Smooth out with a spatula. If you’d like to use the water bath technique, follow the steps below. If you’d like to skip it, jump to step 9.
8. Place cheesecake pan(s) into a much larger pan.
9. Fill the larger pan with water, filling up to at most 1 inch below the top of the aluminum foil. Place the cheesecake in its water bath.
10. Bake your cheesecake, uninterrupted (no opening the door to peek) for a full hour. Check at the 1 hour mark. If your cheesecake wobbles in the center slightly when you jiggle it is done. If not, give it another 2 minutes in the oven.
11. Once your cheesecake is done baking, turn the oven off, leave the oven door slightly ajar, and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature in the oven. This will help prevent any splitting.
12. Once cooled, remove the cheesecake from the oven and place in the refrigerator to cool for another 2 hours.

For the Whipped Cream

1. Add all of your ingredients into a cold metal bowl and whip on a high speed until stiff peaks form. You’ll know your whipped cream is ready to go when scooped with a spoon and it holds its shape.

Putting It All Together

1. Once your cheesecake has cooled and set top with your homemade whipped cream, smoothing over with a spatula, slice, & enjoy!

Notes

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Be sure to allow your dairy ingredients to reach room temperature. Room temperature ingredients not only combine more effortlessly (no over-mixing needed) but they also trap air so much better. This trap air will expand and produce a fluffy texture during your baking process.
• Prepared Pan: There will always be the “next best way to prepare your pan” article. Simply put however, the most effective way i find in my kitchen is a light rub of shortening around the sides, parchment paper on the bottom of the pan (for majority of baking pans), & a very light dusting of flour (cocoa powder for chocolate baked goods) all throughout.
• Water Bath: At times, even I think about skipping this step when baking cheesecake. But it’s helpful to remember that with cheesecake, your primary goal is to bake it slowly and evenly without browning the top. When you bake in a water bath, the water will never get hotter than 212 degrees, no matter how hot the oven is. The hot water insulates the outer ring of the springform pan and keeps the oven moist.
• Why Add Flour To Cheesecake?: Flour in the cheesecake batter is an easy route to avoid cracking and makes the cheesecake easier to cut. Granted, it does change the texture of the cheesecake a bit. The flour will make the cheesecake more firm and sturdy, while a cheesecake with eggs alone has a softer, ultimate creamy texture.