38-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature
3large eggs, room temperature
1cupbrown sugar
1cupcooked, mashed sweet potato
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonground nutmeg
1teaspoonground allspice
Pinchkosher salt
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1teaspoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
Whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
To make the crust, stir together the crushed ginger snaps, chopped pecans, melted butter, and salt until well combined.
Press the crust into the prepared pan, evenly covering the bottom and going up the sides about 1/4 of an inch. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until fragrant. Remove the pan from the oven.
To make the cheesecake batter, using a mixer or a strong blender, throw in the softened cream cheese and eggs. Mix until smooth and combined.
Add the brown sugar, sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, and flour, and blend until smooth. (Don’t mix it too long or too many cracks may appear on top when it bakes.)
Pour the batter over the crust. Place the pan in the oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the center is just a bit jiggly. At this time, turn off the oven, open the oven door, and leave the cheesecake to rest in the oven for 1 hour. This helps it to cool down more slowly as it finishes setting.
After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven, cover, and chill for at least 8 hours. Serve the cheesecake chilled topped with whipped cream.
Notes
A 1-pound sweet potato cooked in the oven at 425°F for a little over an hour will yield enough for the recipe. I poke holes all over the sweet potato, wrap it in foil, and place a on baking sheet. Alternatively, you can use canned sweet potato.