Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake

When I wake up in the morning to a cool house, all I want to do is wrap myself up in blankets with a warm drink in my hands. Over the past few weeks, I've had my fair share of Pumpkin Spice Lattes. In fact, I love my homemade version of this coffee house favorite so much that family and friends have asked me to whip up a batch here and there simply because I couldn't stop talking about it. If you made one of these yourself—without those $5 bills to knock you down—I think you'll find the very same words coming out of your mouth.

The words simply can't be stopped.

So, when my mother informed me a couple weeks ago that she was inviting over 20 of her closest friends for a little wine and cheese party, those darn pumpkin spice lattes popped into my head first. What can I say? I have lattes on the brain. Nevertheless, I put that thought aside and worked out a menu. As it so happens (and this should come as no surprise to you), I think in the language of desserts so the wine and cheese party quickly turned into one for wine and cheese(cake).

Yet, I couldn't get those pumpkin spice latte thoughts out of my head. Pumpkin cheesecake had found a place on the menu, but who was to say I couldn't turn that into something more? When I stumbled across this recipe from Sprinkle Bakes, I was instantly sold.

I made a few desserts for that evening, but this Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake stood out as the clear winner (and I don't think it was the wine talking). My mother and I loved it so much, we hoarded the leftovers and kept them all to ourselves.

This cheesecake is really a great occasion dessert (think holidays and special evenings). It can't help but impress those who take a bite (plus, it's surprisingly light, which is something everyone can love).

This Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake combines two great delights—your favorite autumn coffee house drink and cheesecake. This cheesecake honestly tastes like a pumpkin spice latte, with deliciously strong flavors. The cheesecake crust is made from almonds spiced with cinnamon. A rich, but surprisingly light cheesecake filling is poured on top before it heads into the oven. The pumpkin spice flavor is prevalent when the first bite hits your tongue, followed by subtle tones of espresso. I think the most gorgeous part of this cheesecake is the representation. This is a perfect holiday or weekend treat.

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Bread Pudding with a Caramel Rum Raisin Sauce

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake
Adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

Yields 9-inch cheesecake

Crust
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease well.

In a food processor, place all ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin works)
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 teaspoons espresso powder

In a large mixer, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract and eggs. Beat in pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and espresso powder until smooth. Pour mixture on top of baked crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until filling is set. Cheesecake is ready to come out of the oven when the center still wobbles very slightly (the residual heat in the cheesecake will continue to bake it once out of the oven). Allow to cool completely to room temperature in pan before chilling in refrigerator until ready to serve. It is very important the cheesecake is completely cool or moisture will form on the top of the cheesecake (which means the powdered sugar part of the garnish will dissolve and leave a mess).

Garnish
Powdered sugar
Whipped cream
Cinnamon
Cinnamon sticks

When cheesecake is cool and the top is dry, lay strips of wax paper across the surface on the cheesecake in even stripes. Sift powdered sugar over the top to form a thin layer. Remove wax paper strips carefully. Place whipped cream on the center of the cheesecake, sprinkle with cinnamon, and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Comments

[Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes]

Looks delicious!

[thelittleloaf]

I love the idea of this...and it's absolutely perfect for this cold autumnal weather we're getting now. Your photos are so beautiful too - gorgeous presentation :-)

[Molly @ Toffee Bits and Chocolate Chips]

Can I just say- whoa? This looks unbelievably delicious. And I'll have to try your latte recipe too-

[Meghan]

Beautiful :) Why aren't you in Tucson with this cheesecake right now, huh!?

[Kristin Rosenau]

TheLittleLoaf-- Thank you! This is a really great twist on the ordinary pumpkin cheesecake (and it's great to share).

Molly-- Do itttt. Yes, this is peer pressure. You'll thank me later. :)

Meghan-- I wish I could be! You'd love this one.

[Dennis]

I bet this is better than Cheesecake Factory!

[Jennifer (Delicieux)]

This looks fantastic!!! I love the whipped cream and cinnamon sticks in the middle. Yum!

[Laura (Blogging Over Thyme)]

The presentation IS gorgeous! I always love when people make patterns on cakes with powdered sugar. This looks very very delicious too. I love how you described it as light--I love lighter cheesecakes, sometimes I find them too heavy, but I'm pretty sure I could eat a large majority of this :)

[Jewels Phraner]

Hi! I made this today for company. It was amazing! Although I couldn't find espresso powder, so I ended up using dry espresso grounds. I was worried it would make the cheesecake gritty, which I don't think it did, but I think it didn't add enough espresso flavor. I wonder if espresso powder is stronger in flavor?

[Kristin Rosenau]

Jewels-- Espresso powder is made especially for baking. It is more concentrated than grounds which is why you may not have gotten a strong coffee flavor.

[Kristen]

Do you have suggestions for something other than almonds to use for the crust, would love to make this, but nut allergies. Or could you just substitute a regular graham cracker crumb crust?

[Christina]

Hi, what would you think about using a shot of espresso instead of the powder? Would that throw off the consistency?

[Ann]

It tasted really good, but it almost tasted just like a regular pumpkin pie...

[jLew]

I'd love to make it for this weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving)!! Do you think this should be made the day of or do you think it would fare well in the fridge overnight?? (I'd like to get as much done before the actual day of the dinner as possible)

[Kristin Rosenau]

jLew-- You can definitely make it the day before. Save the toppings until just before serving. I actually did that last year for Thanksgiving!

[Elsa]

I loved this, like all your recipes! I used instant coffee instead of espresso powder, which probably made the coffee a little less prominent but it was still really good. Especially the next day, when it had had time to chill.

[Morgan]

What brand of espresso powder did you use? I have Starbucks vanilla iced coffee powder... not sure if that would work or not!

[Kristin Rosenau]

Morgan-- I use Medaglia D'Oro Espresso Powder. You can usually find it in the coffee aisle. Coffee powder will also work, but it is not as strong and will leave less of a flavor. I would add about 50% more to give it that flavor boost.