Sunday, December 19, 2010

Guest Post: Candace's Double Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

The first time my friend Candace brought her double layered pumpkin cheesecake to an event, I just about melted with happiness.  I didn't think many things could be better than cheesecake--and if there was anything close, in my mind, it was a tie with pumpkin pie.  Imagine the two together.  I hear a chorus of angels in my head: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Pure amazingness.

I'm having difficulty uploading pictures tonight for some silly reason, so I really want to encourage you to go visit Candace's page and see her beautiful step-by-step photo instructions for this delicious cheesecake.  After looking at her pictures for this recipe, have fun poking around on her site!  Candace's blog is full of recipes, projects, and stories about her adventures as a newlywed.

 

And now, I'll turn it over to Candace.

Hello! My name is Candace.  For the past couple of years, I've made it my tradition to cook pumpkins, and make pumpkins pies and cheesecake from scratch.  The recipe below is super easy, and a definite favorite of many!  If you don't have fresh cooked pumpkin, then canned pumpkin works just fine too! Hope you enjoy!

16 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (Click Here for cooked pumpkin recipe)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 graham cracker crust

Blend cream cheese, vanilla and sugar together in a bowl until it reaches a thick smooth consistency.

Add eggs in and blend until smooth.

Remove 1 cup of the plain batter and spread evenly into the pie crust.

Next, add the rest of the ingredients (pumpkin and spices) to the remaining batter and blend smooth.

Spread the pumpkin batter carefully over the plain batter, and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Cool, then chill in the fridge for 3 hours or more. Serve with cool whip or whipped cream, and enjoy!