Preheat your oven to 325°F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla essence. Beat together until everything is nicely mixed. Then add the eggs, one by one, mixing until you have a smooth batter.

Set aside 1 1/3 cups of this cheesecake mixture and pour it into the bottom of your graham cracker crust.

To the remaining batter, stir in the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice until it's well blended. Carefully pour this pumpkin layer over the plain cheesecake layer in the crust.

Bake in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the center is almost set. After baking, let the cheesecake cool for about an hour, then chill it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight for the best results.

Serve with whipped cream on top if desired! Enjoy!