Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 12 to 16

Cribbed from a co-worker's recipe:

This has been adapted from a few recipes. I made a bourbon glaze, but you can also just put
the bourbon into the batter as described here.
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Also, two points from Cooks Illustrated:
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- For a smooth and creamy texture, we blotted the canned pumpkin puree with paper
towels to remove excess moisture before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. (see
step-by-step instructions below)
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- Baking the cake in a water bath in a moderate oven also helped give our pumpkin
cheesecake recipe its velvety texture.
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Ingredients
Crust
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5 ounces graham crackers (9 whole crackers), broken into large pieces
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (sub with nutmeg if needed)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1 cup granulated sugar (7 1/4 ounces)
1/2 can pumpkin puree (7.5 oz)
16 oz cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks and left to soften at room
temperature, about 30 minutes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (as desired)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice!
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3 large eggs, left at room temperature, about 30 minutes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp bourbon
Instructions
1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to
325 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan evenly with
nonstick cooking spray. Pulse crackers, sugar, and spices in food processor until
evenly and finely ground, about fifteen 2-second pulses. Transfer crumbs to
medium bowl, drizzle melted butter over, and mix with rubber spatula until evenly
moistened. Turn crumbs into prepared springform pan and, using hand, spread
crumbs into even layer. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or drinking glass, press
crumbs evenly into pan bottom, then use a soup spoon to press and smooth
crumbs into edges of pan. Bake until fragrant and browned about the edges,
about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.
2. FOR THE FILLING: Bring about 4 quarts water to simmer in stockpot. Whisk
spices and salt in small bowl; set aside. To dry pumpkin (see illustrations below):
Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Spread pumpkin on paper
towels in roughly even layer. Cover pumpkin with second triple layer of paper
towels and press firmly until paper towels are saturated. Peel back top layer of
towels and discard. Grasp bottom towels and fold pumpkin in half; peel back
towels. Repeat and flip pumpkin onto baking sheet; discard towel.
3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat cream cheese at medium speed
to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bottom and
sides of bowl well with rubber spatula. Add about one third of sugar and beat at
medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute; scrape bowl and add
remaining sugar in two additions, scraping bowl after each addition. Add vanilla
with final sugar addition.
4. Set springform pan with cooled crust on 18-inch-square doubled layer heavy-
duty foil and wrap bottom and sides with foil (I use a high-sided 9-in pan to avoid
having to do this sealing); set wrapped springform pan in roasting pan. Add 2
eggs and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 1 minute; scrape bowl.
Add remaining 1 egg and beat at medium-low until incorporated, about 45
seconds; scrape bowl. Add heavy cream and beat at low speed until combined,
about 45 seconds. Using rubber spatula, scrape bottom and sides of bowl and
give it one stir by hand.
!5. Remove one cup of batter, carefully spread over crust. To remaining batter,
add pumpkin, spices, bourbon, and lemon juice and beat at medium speed until
combined, about 45 seconds; scrape bowl, give it a final stir.
6. Carefully spread pumpkin filling over the batter already in the crust using a
spatula. Once all of the filling is added, smooth surface carefully. Set roasting
pan in oven and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of
springform pan. Bake until center of cake is slightly wobbly when pan is shaken,
and center of cake registers 145 to 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer,
about 1 1/2 hours (see note).
7. Set roasting pan on wire rack and use paring knife to loosen cake from sides
of pan. Cool until water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove springform pan
from water bath, discard foil, and set on wire rack; continue to cool until barely
warm, about 3 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least
4 hours or up to 3 days.
8. TO SERVE: Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen,
then slide cake onto serving platter. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature
about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.
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Step-by-Step from Cooks Illustrated
Drying Pumpkin with Paper Towels
1. Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Spread pumpkin on paper towels
in roughly even layer.2. Cover pumpkin with second triple layer of paper towels and press firmly until paper
towels are saturated.
3. Peel back top layer of towels and discard.
4. Grasp bottom towels and fold pumpkin in half; peel back towels. Repeat and flip
pumpkin onto baking sheet; discard towels.