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Pumpkin Cheesecake

DIRECTIONS

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Cover the outside (bottom and sides) of a 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side out. Butter the inside of the pan and set aside.
In a bowl stir together the graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and the ginger. Stir and toss together while gradually adding the melted butter. Continue to stir and toss until well mixed. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the inside of the pan to reach 1-3/4 - 2 inches up the sides. Chill for 30 minutes.
Place the room temperature cream cheese in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat until no lumps are visible. Cream cheese should be light and fluffy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar while continuously beating; occasionally scrape down the bowl sides. Add the pumpkin, orange zest, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl sides. Using a rubber spatula stir slowly to dispel some of the air bubbles.
Pour the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the surface until it is flat. Bake until the top is lightly puffed all over, 60 - 70 minutes. The center may be slightly underset but it will firm up during cooling. Cool on a wire rack, then remove the foil and pan sides and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, you may want to carefully slip the chilled cake off the pan bottom and onto a large, flat serving plate, if you have one.