Preheat the oven to 325° and grease a 9 inch springform pan.You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (You can even use the aluminum foil disposable ones).If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. Try to use a wide kind of foil so you would only need to use 1 solid sheet. (I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.)
Although, there is a chance that a small amount of water will leak in, this will NOT ruin the cheesecake.
Graham Cracker Crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, ground nutmeg, melted butter, rum extract, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and mix very well.
Grease the inside of the springform pan with some cooking spray and spread crumb mixture in the bottom on the prepared springform.
Press the graham cracker mixture all over the bottom and a little up the sides.
Eggnog Cheesecake Filling:
In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed for about a minute, until smooth and fluffy. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for another minute.
Pour in sugar while beating and add eggs, one at a time. Beat it until smooth. Stop to scrape bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add eggnog and rum extract and beat, still on medium-high speed, until all mixed very well.
Lower the speed and beat in corn starch and nutmeg. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for a few more seconds to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
Transfer batter into the springform and spread in evenly.
Baking the Cheesecake:
Place a large roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform inside the roasting pan. Carefully add hot water to the roasting pan, about half way up the side of the springform.
Bake for 85 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10-15 minutes and take it out of the oven. Take off the foil wrap off the pan.
Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don’t actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)
Cool cheesecake for an hour and then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Eggnog Whipped Cream:
TIPS: Make sure the bowl and the whisk attachment are clean and dry. Chill the bowl of the electric mixer in the refrigerator for a few minutes and don’t take the heavy whipping cream and eggnog out until ready to whip.
Beat cold heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed. Slowly pour in eggnog and rum extract while mixing and keep mixing until stiff peeks form.
Transfer 2/3 of eggnog whipped cream into a piping bag with a decorative attachment and spread remaining whipped cream on top of the cheesecake. Pipe rosettes on top of the cheesecake to decorate it.
Video
Notes
Gluten free: The only part of this recipe that contains gluten is the graham cracker crust. Simply use gluten-free graham crackers and pulse them into crumbs to create gluten-free crust. All of the other ingredients should already be gluten-free, but always double check your labels and nutritional information to be sure.
Storing: Make sure to store the cheesecake in the refrigerator and covered air-tight. Properly stored, cheesecake should last up to 5 days. I recommend simply storing it in the very same pan it was baked in, covered tightly with plastic wrap or another air-tight wrap you use. Remember to cover it tightly every single time after you take out a slice!