youtube pinterest twitter facebook instagram vimeo whatsapp Bookmark Entries BURGER NEW Chevron Down Chevron Left Chevron Right Basket Speech Comment Search Video Play Icon Premium Nigella Lawson Vegan Vegetarian Member Speech Recipe Email Bookmark Comment Camera Scales Quantity List Reorder Remove Open book
Menu Signed In
More answers

Why Did The Crust For The Pumpkin Cheesecake Not Come Out Of The Pan Cleanly?

Asked by TREBLA. Answered on 11th December 2024

Full question

The Pumpkin Cheesecake was delicious but my crust didn’t come out clean with each slice even though it sat in the fridge for almost one hour before adding the custard. Next time should I try prebaking the crust?

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Photo by James Merrell
Pumpkin Cheesecake
By Nigella
  • 14
  • 2

Our answer

Nigella's Pumpkin Cheesecake (from FEAST) is a delicate and elegant alternative to a regular pumpkin pie. The cheesecake filling sits on top of a digestive biscuit (or graham cracker) crumb base. The base is not pre-cooked as it will also cook when the cheesecake goes in the oven.

It is difficult to know from the description if the crumb base was too solid or too crumbly. However, if it is too crumbly then you may need either to press it slightly more firmly into the pan or add a little extra butter to the mixture (15-30g or 1-2 tablespoons), until the mixture holds together when you squeeze some between your finger and thumb. However, if the base is pressed too hard into the base of the pan then it will also be difficult to extract from the pan when you cut the cheesecake. So we suggest pressing just enough to hold the crumb base together and no more.

Tell us what you think