Pumpkin Zebra Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Tightly wrap outside of 10-inch springform pan with heavy-duty foil to prevent leakage when baking in water bath later.

While oven preheats, melt butter in prepared springform pan in oven. Meanwhile, in food processor with knife blade attached, pulse gingersnaps to make fine crumbs (you should have 1 1/2 cups crumbs). Stir crumbs into melted butter, then press onto bottom of pan to form crust. Bake crust 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Slowly beat in sugar and salt until blended. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, 1 at a time, sour cream, and vanilla just until smooth.

Pour 5 cups cream-cheese batter into 8-cup liquid measuring cup or other container with pouring spout; set aside. With wire whisk, stir pumpkin, cinnamon, and allspice into remaining cream-cheese batter. Transfer pumpkin batter to another large measuring cup or container with spout.

To create "zebra" design, pour half of pumpkin batter into springform pan. Holding white batter about 2 feet above pan, pour about half directly into center of pumpkin batter (pouring from this height will cause batter in center of cake to be pushed toward edge of pan, forming a "zebra" or bull's-eye design).* Repeat procedure three times, decreasing the amounts of batter each time and pouring from high above pan only into center, ending with white batter.

Place springform pan in large roasting pan; place on center oven rack. Carefully pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up side of springform pan. Bake cheesecake 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until center barely jiggles.

Remove springform pan from water bath to wire rack. Carefully remove foil from outside of pan and discard. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on wire rack. Cover cheesecake and refrigerate 6 hours or until well chilled or up to 2 days. Remove side of pan to serve.

Tips & Techniques *We suggest placing springform pan in kitchen sink for easier pouring.