Pumpkin Cheesecake

Yum!! This is one of my favorites. It is suppose to be a copy of the Cheesecake Factory recipe but I've never had theirs so I can't comment. Regardless, it is really good. There is a moderate amount of work in preparation but since it has to be made in advance and the results are so good I feel it's worth the effort!

- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 /12 cups sugar
- salt
- 4 - 8oz. packages of cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 6 eggs - room temperature and lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Optional garnish:
- 2 cups of whipped cream
- toasted pecans

Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Brush a spring form pan with some of the melted butter.
Combine the remaining melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs and a 1/4 cup of sugar. Press the graham cracker mixture on to the bottom and up the sides of the pan (will be the crust) and bake 15 - 20 minutes. Cool on a rack then wrap the pan with foil (bottom and up the sides). Once wrapped in foil place the pan in a roasting pan that is large enough for the cake to be flat and has the depth for a water bath. Boil some water.
In the meantime beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth then add sugar and beat until light. Now beat in the the sour cream and finally add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of salt, the cinnamon and the cloves. Pour batter into the cooled crust. Carefully add the boiling water to the roasting pan to form a water bath for the cake pan. Bake 1 hour and 45 minutes - until the center is cooked and the side appear to be pulling away from the pan. Turn off the oven and open the oven door briefly to let out some of the heat - but leave the cake in the oven with the door closed again for 1 hour. Lift cake out of the oven and out of the water bath. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Once cake is cool run a knife around the edge to loosen from pan but leave in pan, cover and store in the refrigerator 8 hour to over night. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to serving. Loosen and remove the outside of the spring form pan. If desired garnish with pecans and serve with whipped cream. Your desert is ready to serve!