Pecan Pie Cheese Cake – for when you can’t decide between pie or cake. Have both…
This Pecan Pie Cheesecake may be the best cheesecake ever. And I would know, because I have made so many cheesecakes. Once upon a time I cooked my way through the Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese calendar. For real. I made every.one. For every occasion I’d whip together a cheesecake. It was the 90s and it was just a good idea.
My daughter does not like cheesecake. (“why?” for the love of cheese, why not? And she does really, really love cheese.. we just don’t understand.)
But my son. My boy. Came up with this request for his 9th birthday. “Pecan Pie, but I want a cheesecake”
It may have been his best idea ever.
How ot make this Pecan Pie Cheesecake
The cake started with this one from Smitten Kitchen, I used the crust just as is. From there I stuck to my basic cheesecake formula – which involves cheese and eggs basically. ah.. and sugar.
It’s that simple.
Brown sugar – because, because, pecan pie – brown sugar highlights the caramel goodness that is pecan pie. And I used some spiced whisky (Canadian of course – I used J.P. Wiser’s Torched Toffee) – optional of course – because it’s a fun thing to throw into a cake. Whisky flavoured pecan pie is the best.
So there you have it… the prettiest of cheesecakes. With lots of caramel sauce. Lots.
If you are feeling really ambitious, you can, of course, make your own caramel sauce. Or you could make it easy on yourself and grab a can of Hershey’s Top Scotch. It is exactly the right flavour of caramel for pecan pie.
And it is almost Valentines, so you can make this for the sweetest pecan pie loving person in your life.
Here is how you make it…
Spiced Whisky Pecan Pie Cheesecake
pecan pie meets cheesecake for when you can't decide - Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 12 -14
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs from five 4 3/4- by 2 1/4-inch crackers
- 1/2 cup pecans 1 3/4 ounce, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 stick 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the cheesecake
- 24 oz cream cheese 3 - 8oz bricks of cream cheese
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 -1/2 Tablespoons Spiced Whisky - Wiser's Torched Toffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For Topping
- 1 cup caramel sauce 284ml Hershey's Top Scotch Butterscotch Topping (or caramel topping of your choice)
- 1-1/2 cups pecan halves
Instructions
For the crust:
- Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Spray a 10in spring-form pan with cooking spray. Press graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan, press firmly, evenly, and about 1 inch up the sides. Chilli crust in refrigerator for 1 hour.
For the filling:
- Preheat oven to 350
- In the bowl of stand mixer add cream cheese and sugar and mix on medium speed until creamy and well blended. Continue to beat on low speed. Add vanilla, whisky and eggs, one at a time until well blended after each addition. Finally, add spices and ensure they are fully incorporated. Pour mixture into spring-form pan, on top of chilled crust.
- Bake at 350 until the center is set (but not cracked) about 50 to 60 minutes. I found 50 was just perfect. The edges of the pie may start to brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
For Topping:
- Once cake is completely cooled, remove ring from around the base of the spring-form pan. I like to run a thin knife gently around the edge of the cake before I do this to loosen the cake from the ring. Place cake on serving platter (I leave the bottom of the spring form under the cake to make it easier to move around).
- Pour the caramel sauce over the top of the cake. Just enough to fill the center. I used about 3/4 of the can. Place pecans on top of the caramel sauce. Serve
Thank’s for visiting. I’m Trish. I share healthy family recipes to inspire your family to eat their veggies and save room for cake!
