-
1
Right before you're ready to go to bed, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
-
2
Mix the ginger snap crumbs thoroughly with the melted butter, brown sugar, ginger and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Press this mixture into a 9-inch greased springform pan, forming a thin crust across the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.
-
3
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth and soft, scraping the sides of the bowl and spoon as necessary. Mix in the vanilla, ginger root and eggs until the batter is well blended.
-
4
In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the remaining cinnamon, the nutmeg and cloves. Mix thoroughly with the pumpkin puree and then beat into the cream-cheese batter until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined. Pour this batter into the crust-lined pan. Place in the oven. Clean up and go to bed.
-
5
When you awake, 8 to 10 hours later (the exact time doesn't matter), the cake will appear set, the top will have barely colored, and the surface will be flawless. Remove to a rack and cool in the pan for an hour, until the pan is cool enough to handle.
-
6
Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper and an inverted plate. Holding the plate tight to the pan, invert both. Remove the pan and refrigerate the cake upside down for at least 1 hour. If necessary, the cake can stay refrigerated in this way all day.
-
7
Invert a serving plate over the cheesecake and invert the whole thing. Remove the top plate and the paper. Cover and refrigerate.
-
8
Cut with a long sharp knife dipped in warm water to prevent sticking.
