This is a tutorial for how to make my mom’s pumpkin torte recipe. It’s originally an Amish recipe, but she always made it for Thanksgiving.
If you like this recipe, check out my Sweet Potato Pumpkin Casserole next!
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It’s been important to me over the years to document my family recipes. Food is one of the ways I show my love for people. And there’s certain recipes I grew up eating that have stuck with me. This pumpkin torte is one of them. My mom made it every year for our Thanksgiving table.
Unfortunately I never made it a priority to watch how she made it. I found her handwritten recipe card for it, but she’d crossed out and rewrote amounts and directions so many times that it was ruined. Fortunately my Aunt found a newspaper copy of the original recipe and so that’s what I’m publishing here.
More family favorite Thanksgiving recipes
Ingredients for pumpkin torte recipe
- Pumpkin – Use one can of pure pumpkin puree. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
- Graham Crackers – The newspaper clipping called for 24 graham crackers. But it didn’t specify if that meant rectangles or squares. So I put the crumbs into my pan first to gauge amounts. I ended up using 30 squares, or 15 full sheets of grahams.
- Butter – Two full sticks of butter help to make this crust decadent and sturdy.
- Cream Cheese – One package of cream cheese helps to make the thin cheesecake layer for the torte.
- Sugar – Needed for all three layers.
- Eggs – You need five large eggs for this dessert. Two in the cheesecake layer. And three (separated) in the pumpkin pie layer.
- Milk – I use whole milk for richness. This is not a “light” dessert
- Gelatin – Helps to set up the pumpkin layer. This dessert is a dream to slice and serve neatly.
- Water – A quarter cup of cold water is needed to dissolve the gelatin.
- Seasonings – Original recipe uses cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. I decided to add vanilla extract to the cheesecake layer.
- Whipped Cream – It’s not pictured because you can choose how to top each slice of pumpkin torte. My Mom always used Cool Whip. But you could choose to use canned whipped topping. Or make your own with heavy whipping cream.
Instructions
This recipe is not difficult. However, it has a lot of steps. It’s more fussy than I am usually willing to deal with. But it’s worth it for the nostalgia, especially on Thanksgiving. And it is truly delicious!
Here’s some helpful visuals to refer to as you make this dessert in your own kitchen. For complete recipe, keep scrolling to the bottom of this post for the free, printable recipe card.
Graham Cracker Crust Layer
Second Layer
Pumpkin Mixture
Beating the egg whites
Third Layer
Serving suggestions
The only way to serve this dessert in my experience is with a full Thanksgiving spread. Here’s the rest of the recipes for our traditional Thanksgiving meal –
Storage directions
Store any leftover dessert in an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I do not recommend freezing this dessert.
Kitchen tools
- Bake this pumpkin dessert in a 9×13 metal pan with a lid because then you can refrigerate the leftovers in the same pan.
- My favorite set of Pyrex measuring cups – for measuring and melting butter
- You need a good mixer for this recipe
- My favorite small spatula for serving the slices
Pumpkin Torte
Ingredients
Crust
- 30 graham crackers about 1/2 a box - use 30 squares aka 15 whole sheets
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 sticks butter melted
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pumpkin Layer
- 15 oz pumpkin puree 1 can
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs separated
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tbsp plain gelatin 1 envelope
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Use a food processor or blender to turn the graham crackers into crumbs. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs with 1/3 cup of sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until completely combined.
- Pour the crust mixture into a 9x13 metal baking pan and lightly press the crust into the bottom of the pan.
Cream Cheese Layer
- With a hand or stand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese with two large eggs, 3/4 cup of sugar and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly on top of the crust. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside. Turn off the oven.
Pumpkin Layer
- Combine the water with the gelatin. Stir until it is dissolved. Set aside.
- In a non-stick sauce pan, combine the can of pumpkin with the three egg YOLKS, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, milk, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is bubbling and it has thickened. This took me about 8 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the gelatin until completely combined.
- With a hand or stand mixer, in a clean bowl, beat the three egg whites on high power until they have formed soft, white peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the warm pumpkin mixture until no steaks of white remain and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin layer on top of the baked layers. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Refrigerate the dessert for at least four hours or overnight before serving.
- Top each slice with a big dollop of whipped cream
Nutrition
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