For best cheesecake results, the cheesecake should be allowed to sit overnight to allow the flavors to develop.
Mise en place. Make sure cream cheese is softened and eggs are at room temperature.
Pre-heat oven to 300°. Start a large pot of water boiling on the stove-top. Place a large roasting pan in oven to pre-heat. It should be large enough to hold the cheesecake pan and water around the pan.
Make pan waterproof. Lightly grease the inside of cheesecake pan. Take a piece of parchment paper. Cut a circle with 2" excess (larger than the bottom of the pan) on each side. Press parchment paper into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Lay out a large piece of extra-wide tin foil. Place pan in the middle. Fold the foil up all sides. Crimp the excess at the top. Set pan aside.
Cut cream cheese into chunks and place in stand mixer. Beat on medium to medium-high speed for approximately 4 minutes, until absolutely no lumps and well whipped. Scrape down.
Add sugar and salt. Beat 2 minutes.
From this point forward, treat the mixture gently and only mix on low speed. Add the eggs one at a time, blending on slow speed after each addition. Scrape down.
Blend in sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Scrape down.
Mix on low speed and additional two minutes.
Pour cheesecake into the prepared cheesecake pan.
Place cheesecake in large pre-heated roasting pan. Carefully pour boiling water around the cheesecake pan into the roasting pan (water bath for cheesecake). Add until water approximately half-ways up the side of pan.
Bake for 1 & 1/2 hours. The top will still be jiggly. Turn the oven off and prop open the door about half-ways. Allow to sit in slowly cooling oven for another hour.
Remove cheesecake to counter. Remove foil and dry off any water. Allow to cool completely. Place in refrigerator. For best taste, allow to chill overnight before assembling rest of cake.
Pumpkin Cakes
Mise en place! Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, salt, allspice, and cloves. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together butter, granulate sugar, and brown sugar until completely blended.
Add oil. Whip until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl.
Add eggs one at a time, blending after each addition on low speed. Scrape down bowl.
Turn mixer on low speed. Add 1/3 of flour mixture. Mix. Add 1/2 of pumpkin mixture. Mix. Add 1/3 of flour mixture. Mix. Add second 1/2 of pumpkin mixture. Mix. Add last 1/3 of flour mixture. Mix until just blended. Scrape down and make sure everything well incorporated.
Divide batter between two prepared baking pans, using a spatula to level it out if batter is thick.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Then flip cakes out of pan onto cooling rack to cool completely.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Mise en place. Make sure cream cheese and butter are softened completely. (You'll have lumps in frosting if not).
Whip together cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla. Whip until completely smooth and a little fluffy.
Add 2 C. powdered sugar and all of cinnamon. Whip until completely smooth.
Add remaining powdered sugar, 1/2 C. to 1 C. at a time, until you reach desired level of sweetness.
Assembly
Lay one pumpkin cake on the bottom. Lay cheesecake on top of it. Add other pumpkin cake on top. Using a sharp knife, trim off any excess cheesecake from the edges.
Cover with a thin coat of frosting (crumb coat). Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow to set.