I love pumpkin, and I love cheesecake, so when I saw this in the ad for my local Aldi store, I just knew I had to give it a shot.
Right out of the box, the cheesecake looks like a pretty standard cheesecake, aside from a brownish marbling throughout the top (the “swirl” in the title). I was pretty surprised to discover that the cheesecake is pre-cut into eight generous slices, which is always nice, just to ensure that everyone gets equal slices. It’s also helpful because you don’t end up with sloppy cuts, or chunks of cheesecake all over the place from a poor cut. You literally just use a spatula (or your fingers), and it easily pulls right up out of the pan. The cheesecake is rather, for lack of a better term, “sturdy”, so it holds together really well. You don’t have to worry about it falling apart, which is a little thing that is magnified by the fact I’m pretty clumsy, and even I managed to plate it and eat it without making a mess.
The consistency is pretty spot on for a rather delicious cheesecake…it’s smooth and creamy as the fork runs through it. If you haven’t noticed already, this dessert is comprised of two layers: A small top layer, which looks (and smells) like straight-up cheesecake, and a light orange-ish bottom layer, which is obviously made up of pumpkin. The consistency of both layers seems to be pretty even from a physical standpoint, as both are light and fluffy, and can easily be cut open with a fork or other utensil.
The taste is also pretty much exactly what you would imagine, which I can’t see being anything other than a really good thing. Obviously, if you don’t like pumpkin, you are not going to like this. Same thing if you don’t like cheesecake. But if you like both, chances are great that you are going to absolutely love this: Initially, the taste of cheesecake is front and center, but it gradually gives way to a pumpkin flavor that strongly resembles pumpkin pie. The texture is also flawless, as the cheesecake literally melts in your mouth. I’m not going to say it’s a perfect cheesecake–I’ve not traveled to New York, or ordered any from high-end restaurants–but as far as frozen, supermarket cheesecakes go, this is one that has to be tried. The $8 price tag is both a very reasonable price for this type of dessert, and is even two dollars cheaper than other cheesecakes in the Belmont dessert line.
Overall: 9/10. I can totally see this becoming yet another annual tradition in our household, just as Belmont’s own Candy Cane Pie (hyperbolic review coming later this year) has become. It has a perfect consistency, which is saying quite a lot considering it’s frozen and from a supermarket, and the seamless blend of cheesecake and pumpkin flavors are almost mind-blowing, with both of them sharing time in the spotlight, but with neither one overpowering the other. This is a dessert that almost begs you to savor every little morsel. Of course, if you don’t like pumpkin, or you don’t like cheesecake, it’s pretty safe to say that you’re not going to like this. But the opposite also holds true. The $8 price tag is also very reasonable, as it’s $2 cheaper than other flavors in Belmont’s cheesecake line. Definitely and wholeheartedly recommended.
