Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie

2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 cups pumpkin purée from a sugar pumpkin (see Recipe Note) OR 1 (15-ounce can) pumpkin purée (can also use puréed cooked butternut squash)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream or 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 homemade pie crust, chilled or frozen (see pâte brisée recipe or our no-fail flaky pie crust recipe), or 2 pre-made pie shells

Preheat the oven:
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Make the filling:
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, white sugar, salt, spices — cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, cardamom, and lemon zest.
Mix in the pumpkin purée. Stir in the cream. Beat together until everything is well mixed.
mixing pumpkin pie ingredients
pumpkin pie ingredients mixed well
adding cream to pumpkin pie puree
pumpkin pie filling ready to add to pie
Fill the pie shell and bake:
Pour the filling into an uncooked chilled or frozen pie shell. Bake at a high temperature of 425°F for 15 minutes.
Then after 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes more. The pie is done when a knife tip inserted in the center comes out wet but relatively clean. The center should be just barely jiggly.
(About half-way through the baking, you may want to put foil around the edges or use a pie protector to keep the crust from getting too browned.)
Note that the pumpkin pie will come out of the oven all puffed up (from the leavening of the eggs), and will deflate as it cools.
pumpkin pie in dish ready for baking
Baked Pumpkin Pie From Scratch
Cool the pie on a rack, then serve:
Cool the pumpkin pie on a wire rack for 2 hours.
Serve with whipped cream