This no crust, high heat baked cheesecake delivers a caramelized top, silky center, and cozy pumpkin spice in every bite without a water bath. A quick blender batter keeps it simple, while Good Culture cottage cheese adds protein and a super smooth texture. Chill overnight, finish with whipped cream, and serve for Thanksgiving, holidays, or any Fall gathering. Make ahead friendly and effortlessly impressive.
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients
• 3 cups of Good Culture cottage cheese (660 grams)
• 1 ¾ cup of sugar (350 grams)
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree (80 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup of cold heavy cream (240 grams)
• ¼ cup of cornstarch (30 grams)
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin spice
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup of powdered sugar
• Pumpkin spice, for dusting
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 475 F degrees.
2. Prepare a 9 inch wide cheesecake pan by lining it with parchment paper. Unclasp the pan and place a piece of parchment paper which is larger than the base of the cheesecake. Clasp the pan back over the lined base. Once the base is lined and taught, cut any excess paper hanging. For the edges of the pan, cut a strip of parchment, which is longer than the circumference of the pan, and which is wider than the height of the cheesecake pan. Its okay if strip of parchment overlaps. Set aside.
3. In a high speed blender add the cottage cheese, white sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Blend everything until fully smooth.
4. Once smooth, pour the pumpkin cottage cheese mixture into a large bowl.
5. Crack the eggs into the bowl and on medium low speed beat the cottage cheese mixture with the eggs until the mixture is smooth.
Note: Do not overbeat the eggs. Overbeating the eggs creates excess air the cheesecake which causes the cheesecake to inflate and deflate too rapidly in the oven, leading to a collapsed cheesecake.
6. Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine.
7. In a separate bowl add the cornstarch, pumpkin spice and salt and whisk to combine.
8. Add about 1 cup of the cottage cheese batter (doesn’t need to be exact) into the cornstarch mixture and mix until combined. Note: This step helps incorporate the dry mixture with the wet mixture without creating dry pockets of cornstarch.
9. Add the cornstarch mixture into the cottage cheese batter and stir until fully mixed.
10. Place the cheesecake pan over a sheet pan to catch any spills. Then pour the cheesecake batter into the lined pan and tap a few times to remove any air bubbles.
11. Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes. The edges should be set but the center should be jiggly and wobbly. Note: If the top is not brown yet, that’s okay pull it out still. Overbaking will lead to tough grainy texture.
12. Let the cheesecake to cool at room temperature. Once cool, let it chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours in the fridge. If desired, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar for a simple whipped cream topping to cover any cracks or imperfections on the cheesecake. Spoon the whipped cream on the chilled cheesecake and dust with pumpkin spice.
13. Slice and enjoy! Any leftover slices can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.