Is any food associated with October quite so much as the pumpkin?

We see them at markets, and carve them for Halloween. And this is to say nothing of the popularity of pumpkin spice anything and everything this time of year, from lattes to bagels.

It makes sense, then, that, were there to be one day each year when aficionados of pumpkin cheesecakes celebrated them, it would likely fall in October. And so it is; in fact, National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day is tomorrow, meaning today’s the perfect time to get ready to celebrate by … making a delicious pumpkin cheesecake. Here’s how.

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Classic Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

24 oz (3 packages) cream cheese, softened

¾ cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix crust ingredients and press into 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, then eggs one at a time.

Mix in pumpkin puree, vanilla, and all spices until well combined.

Pour over crust and bake 50-60 minutes until center is almost set.

Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Tips:

Use room temperature ingredients for smoothest texture

Place a pan of water on bottom oven rack to prevent cracking

Run a knife around edges while still warm to prevent cracking

Senior writer Chris DeWeese edits Morning Brief, The Weather Channel’s newsletter.