Gingerbread Crust Cheesecake

Gingerbread Crust Cheesecake? Yup, it’s basically the best dessert ever created.

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It’s Christmas season, my favourite time of the year! Our tree is decorated, stockings are hung and every square inch of my house is filled with jingle bells, cedar trimmings, pine cones or other Christmas baubles. It also happens to be my best friends birthday at the beginning of December!

My daughter and I decorated a gingerbread house a couple of days ago and every single time I walk past it, the scent of gingerbread overwhelms my senses. So when I was thinking about what type of cheesecake I would make for my besties birthday, all I could think about was gingerbread…

I’m pretty sure this epic Gingerbread Crust Cheesecake is the most genius cheesecake flavour I’ve ever dreamt up. I used my favourite gingerbread cookie recipe for the crust with vanilla cheesecake and topped it all off with whipped cream, gingerbread cookie crumbles and some beautiful gingerbread cookies.

Why it works

1. Gingerbread and vanilla cheesecake combine to make an ultra creamy dessert that is absolutely crave worthy!
2. Impress your friends and family with this tasty treat, loaded with gingerbread flavour and beauty.
3. Make it your own by designing the gingerbread cookie topper!

Ingredients

For the crust, gingerbread crumbles and cookies on top of the cheesecake you’ll need:

• unsalted butter
• brown sugar
• ground ginger
• cinnamon
• all spice
• nutmeg
• salt
• an egg
• molasses
• vanilla extract
• flour baking soda
• baking powder

For the cheesecake and remaining ingredients, you’ll need:

• cream cheese
• sugar
• cornstarch
• eggs
• sour cream
• vanilla
• salt
• heavy whipping cream

How to make Gingerbread Crust Cheesecake

Start by making the gingerbread. This can be baked a couple of days before the cheesecake is made if you wish.

Gingerbread

In a medium bowl combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and baking soda then set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment whip the butter and brown sugar until fully combined then stir in the molasses, egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour until fully incorporated. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with a non stick baking mat and set aside. Lay a piece of wax paper down on a large counter space. Place half of the dough on the wax and place a second sheet of wax paper over the dough. Roll out the dough in between the two sheets of wax paper until it is 1/2 cm thick.

Cut out 16 small shapes and move to the baking sheet. I chose trees but stars, mini gingerbread people or even hearts would be perfect for this. Bake for 4 minutes, then cool completely on the baking sheet before removing to a cooling rack.

Mix the leftover dough with the second half and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Roll out until it is 1 cm thick, then remove the wax paper and place the parchment paper with the rolled out dough on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheet.

Decorate the gingerbread cookies if you desire. Wrap the gingerbread sheet and cookies in plastic or an air tight container until it’s time to make the cheesecake.

Cheesecake Time!

Crust

Heat oven to 350°. Spray the inside of a 10″ springform pan with cooking oil and wrap the bottom half with heavy duty tin foil, making sure the tin foil covers the whole bottom and up the sides of the pan using one sheet, so that there are no seams.

Melt butter in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Break the sheet of gingerbread into chunks and place all inside a food processor.

Process into crumbs.

Mix the gingerbread crumbs into the bowl with the melted butter. Dump into the 10″ springform and press into the bottom with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Cheesecake

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, whip the cream cheese until completely smooth. Scrape the bowl, then mix in sugar, salt and cornstarch. Scrape the bowl again then mix in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and sour cream.

Bring a kettle of water to boil and place the 10″ springform pan inside a roasting pan. Pour the cake batter inside the springform pan, over the crust.

Once the kettle has boiled, pour the hot water inside the roasting pan until the water level comes halfway up the tin foil; it may only be 1/2 an inch or so. You want to make sure the water isn’t able to get inside the tin foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes. The edges will be puffy and the center will look jiggly. Shut the oven off and using a wooden spoon, leave the oven door open just a crack and allow the cheesecake to cool inside for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set on the counter for a couple of hours until the cheesecake comes to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Garnish

Make the whipped cream by whipping heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add sifted icing sugar and vanilla and whip until firm peaks form.

Remove springform edges and place the cheesecake on a pretty plate or cutting board. Spread whipped cream all over the sides of the cheesecake and the edge of the top.  

Cover whipped cream with the leftover gingerbread crumbs and add the gingerbread cookies. Cut into 16, or if being extra generous, 12 slices.

Expert Tips

• Does baking one thing at a time seem like enough work? Try making the gingerbread cookies and sheet a couple of days before you make the cheesecake so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming!
• Is there a brand of gingerbread cookies you love and want to skip the first step? Go ahead and use those instead of baking your own.
• Make sure there are no seams in the tin foil! You want the piece of tin foil to completely cover the bottom and come up the sides of the pan as far as it can go. Seal it to the pan by pressing the tin foil as close as it can get. This will help keep the water from entering the crust and making it soggy when it’s placed inside the water bath.
• Scrape the bowl well in between each addition, scraping all the way down to the bottom of the bowl, and avoid overmixing.
• Once the cheesecake in fully baked, the edges will be puffy and the center will look jiggly, making it appear as it is not ready… it’s ready!
• Check out my Cheesecaking Tips post for all sorts of helpful tricks for baking the perfect cheesecake.

How to store Gingerbread Crust Cheesecake

What, did you make this Gingerbread Crust Cheesecake all for yourself? If not, I’d be surprised if you managed to save some leftovers! If you did, lucky you! Cheesecake keeps super well in the refrigerator for 5-6 days from the day it was made, if kept in an air tight container.

Want to freeze it? Cheesecake freezes really well, and is super easy and quick to thaw out. It’s pretty great being able to pull out a couple of slices of cheesecake if a friend pops by for a visit.

To freeze Gingerbread Crust Cheesecake, slice the remaining cake into individual slices. Spread them out evenly on a wax paper lined baking sheet; make there is space in between each slice. Freeze until firm, then wrap each piece in wax paper, then tin foil. Place each wrapped piece inside a freezer safe ziplock bag and store in the freezer. Cheesecake will last 6-8 months in the freezer… well, it COULD last that long 😉

Love Gingerbread?

Do you love gingerbread? I absolutely love the stuff. For me, it doesn’t have to be Christmas to enjoy this delicious treat. My best friend feels the same way, she super loves gingerbread. Here is a photo of the Gingerbread Crust Cheesecake I made her for her birthday! I made gingerbread heart cookies to top the cake with. So cute! 

Here are some other cheesecake recipes you might like

Classic Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Quadruple Chocolate Cheesecake

Lemon Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

Ultra Creamy Lime Cheesecake

No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

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