Fall delight: delicious pumpkin-ginger cheesecake

A slice of cheesecake that just about delivers your daily dose of beta-carotene? You don't see that too often, so get rid of your guilt for this one! Pumpkin-ginger cheesecake is where the definitions of delicious and nutritious meet.

What's not to love about pumpkin-ginger cheesecake? Along with being incredibly delicious, this recipe is great for both your calcium and beta-carotene intake, the latter being of a great help in preventing acne and macular degeneration. In addition, one cup of cooked pumpkin actually delivers 98 per cent of the recommended daily intake of this essential nutrient.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours (plus refrigeration)
Serves: 12

• 255 g (9 oz.) gingersnaps – about 36 cookies
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 500 g (16 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 425 g (15 oz.) canned pumpkin purée
• 1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped

This cake should be refrigerated for at least 12 hours before being eaten, so it's a good idea to bake it the night before you plan to serve it.

To bake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). In a food processor, combine the gingersnaps and oil, and process until finely ground. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 22-cm square (9-in.) springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until set and crisp. Leave the oven on.
2. In the same food processor bowl (no need to clean it out), combine the cream cheese, sour cream, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, whole eggs, egg whites, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice and the salt; process until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the walnuts over the batter. Bake for one hour.
4. Turn off the oven, prop open the oven door slightly, and let the cheesecake stand for 45 minutes in the turned-off oven.
5. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Each serving contains approximately 447 calories; 26 g fat; 11 g saturated fat; 12 g protein; 41 g carbohydrate; 1.6 g fibre, 82 mg cholesterol and 516 mg sodium.