Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C.

Melt the ¼ cup of butter and set aside to cool for a minute. Using a food processor, pulse the gingersnap cookies into small crumbs, equaling about 1 ½ cups. Add 3 tablespoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and pulse a few times to combine. Now slowly add the melted butter and pulse until well combined. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cookies into a zipper locked bag and crush with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin. Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir to combine until you have a moist, sandy mixture.

Add the crust mixture to a 9 or 10” springform pan and spread around evenly. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, gently press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides, about an inch or so. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until set and slightly cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down some. Once cooled, wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a handheld mixer, combine the 32 ounces of cream cheese and 1 ½ cups of sugar and cream together on medium speed until smooth and creamy with no visible lumps, about 2 minutes. Add ⅓ cup of sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and combine on low speed until fully mixed. Now add the 3 eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, and mix on low speed until just incorporated. As soon as the last egg is combined, stop mixing.

In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup pumpkin, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and about 1 ½ cups of the cheesecake batter. Stir together until fully combined.

Add the cheesecake batter and the pumpkin batter to the crust, alternating a few spoonfuls at a time until all the batter is used. Using a knife or toothpick, drag it through the cheesecake from top to bottom and left to right to create a marbled, swirl pattern.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the springform pan into a larger, rimmed baking pan or roasting pan, then pour the water around the outside of the springform pan. The water should go up at least an inch, or up to halfway up the side of the springform pan. Now place into the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (this is for a 9” springform, if using a 10” springform, begin checking around the 55–60-minute mark). The outside should be mostly set with a still jiggly 2-3” center when it is done. Now turn off the oven and prop the door open slightly (I use a wooden spoon) and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour before removing.

After an hour, remove the pan and slide a knife around the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cover or wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4-6 hours, ideally overnight. After the cheesecake is fully chilled, remove from the fridge and slide a knife around the cheesecake one more time, then unclasp the springform pan and slowly lift the outer ring off the cheesecake. Add desired toppings, if any, and serve.