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1
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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2
Butter a 9- or 10-inch springform pan and coat lightly with flour in a medium bowl, toss the gingersnap crumbs with the melted butter until evenly moistened.
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3
Press the crumbs into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of the prepared pan.
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4
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the crust begins to color.
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5
Let the crust cool.
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6
Reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
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7
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
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8
Beat in 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the brown sugar, then beat in the eggs in 3 additions until the mixture is thoroughly combined, scraping down the side of the bowl occasionally.
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9
In a medium bowl, combine the Pumpkin puree and heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
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10
Add to the cream cheese mixture and beat until combined, scraping the bowl a few times.
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11
Wrap foil loosely around the bottom and up the side of the springform pan.
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12
Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan and set it in a large baking dish or roasting pan.
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13
Place in the middle of the oven and pour 1 inch of hot water into the baking dish.
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14
Bake the cheesecake for about 70 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the center of the cheesecake is still slightly shaky.
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15
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream with the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
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16
Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and pour on the sour cream topping.
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17
Gently top the pan to spread the topping, and continue baking the cheesecake for 10 more minutes.
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18
Transfer the cheesecake to a rack and let cool for 1 hour.
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19
Remove the foil and the side of the pan and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
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20
If you like, remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan by sliding a metal spatula under the crust to loosen it completely, then use 2 large metal spatulas to transfer the cake to a serving plate.
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21
Alternatively, serve the cheesecake on the pan bottom.
