Kim Nelson’s handmade cakes stem from old, southern family recipes. Try this staple from her kitchen at Daisy Cakes!

Instructions:

1. Use a food processor to break up the cookies into tiny chunks. Add the butter and the sugar, and mix until it is coarse. It should be similar in consistency to cornmeal.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease your pan. You will need a 10-inch springform pan.
3. Using the back of a wooden spoon, press the cookie crumbs to the bottom of the greased pan. Make sure to keep this layer as even as possible.
4. To make the filling, you will need cream cheese, a can of 100% pure pumpkin, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, unbleached all-purpose flour, salt, 4 eggs, heavy whipping cream, and pure vanilla extract.
5. Begin making the filling by beating 3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Continue until the cheese is smooth.
6. Add in the can of 100% pure pumpkin. Once that is fully incorporated into the cream cheese, add 1 cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of dark brown sugar, ¼ cup of unbleached all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Then add 4 eggs, and blend well. Finally add the ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract to the pumpkin mixture. Continue beating all of the ingredients until smooth, about 2 minutes.
7. Carefully pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, spreading the filling evenly in the pan to create a smooth top. Bake in the warmed oven for 1½ hours. Note: For best results, place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. You can also add some water to the baking sheet to help promote even baking throughout the cake.
8. Garnish the pound cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a dash of freshly ground nutmeg. This recipe will serve 10 to 12 people.

This featured recipe has been adapted from the cookbook Daisy Cakes by Kim Daisy (Lydia Inglett Publishing/Starbooks.biz). For more delicious treats, pick up your own copy of Daisy Cakes online.