INSTANT POT CHEESECAKE

Yea, you read right. Cheesecake is one of the first recipes that many if not all first-time instant pot users make. You know why, its impressive, you have got ease, simplicity and excitement at the helm of your hands. then you are left with a pretty tasty dessert.

Growing up my mom used to make the gelatin set cheesecake with the classic tennis biscuit base ( it was good growing up hey ). We didn't have the baked alternative because she didn't like it. Then I went to culinary school and I felt as if I had been robbed, "jokes", not really. The day we made it school changed how I felt about cheesecake and this blog post will do the same for you.

The whole process consists of 4 major parts:

1. making the crust

2. making the cheesecake batter

3. pressure cooking the cheesecake

4. cooling and serving the cheesecake

S O M E P R O T I P S :

-Make sure that your cream cheese, eggs and cream are at room temperature before you start. This is critical for your cheesecakes success, if they are not, you may end up with a lumpy cheesecake. So don’t skip this step!

-Line your spring form tin with parchment paper on the sides and bottom for an easier release

-Add "just a pinch" of salt to both the batter and crust, thank me later. The salt heightens the flavour of the other ingredients. A secret ingredient in many restaurant-quality desserts…

-When making the crust you have got two options to look at.

1. Freezing the Crust: Place the cheesecake pan in the freezer while you make the cheesecake batter. This is the usual but still yummy method. It is just a bit looser.

2. Blind-Baking the Crust: Place the crust in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes. This results in a firmer and crispier crust. For those who love the extra crunch factor.

-Use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer. Stand mixers are usually more powerful, so you can easily overmix and introduce too much air into the cheesecake batter. This may result in a puffy soufflé-style cheesecake.

-Blend in the eggs at a low speed, one at a time. Mix until just incorporated (about 15 – 20 seconds with a hand mixer). Try not to overmix on this step.

-Remove Air Bubbles for Smooth Surface. Tap the tin against the counter to let the air bubbles rise to the surface. The longer you tap, the more air bubbles you’ll be able to burst. Just know that removing the air bubbles is an art that requires patience! I often fail at this step but you can just cover with garnish, shhh..

-To make your life easier when taking the cheesecake out from Instant Pot: make a foil sling by folding a piece of aluminum foil. Just be sure to tuck in the foil sling down the sides (don’t let it fold over the cake when you close the lid).

-To prevent surface dents on the cheesecake start with boiling water. by doing this you will shorten the “going up to pressure” time in order to minimize condensation.

-Don’t wait too long to place the cheesecake in the Instant Pot, as it’ll affect the cooking time. Place it immediately once the water begins to boil. This prevents too much water from evaporating.

I hope those helped and that you read or at least skimmed over them all. I know that it might seem like a lot but once you start baking you'll see how easy it is to follow them .

Baking may be regarded as a science, but it's the chemistry between the ingredients and the cook that gives desserts life. Baking is done out of love, to share with family and friends, to see them smile.

here's a gif to reward you for all that reading ;)

Pamper yourself or your guests with my take on this cult-favourite dessert.

Oooh and before I give you the recipe, let me talk about the crust for a second! The crust is its own story Mark. I think Tennis will be taking a back seat for a while now. You can use this recipe in place of a graham cookie or tennis or marie or any other cookie for a crumb crust. Its just sooooo good, its that "Just A Pinch" twist you didn't know you needed but you need. Anyway, that was just me introducing you to your new favourite crust recipe.

Here's the recipe

I N S T A N T P O T C H E E S E C A K E

Yield Prep Time Cook Time

12 30M 28M

(plus 4-8H setting time)

C R U S T

50 vanilla wafer biscuits, 2 cups

1/3 C melted butter

F I L L I N G

920g Cream cheese

335ml Light brown sugar

45ml Cake flour

4 Eggs

200ml Cream

5ml Vanilla essence

2ml Salt

C A R A M E L

400g caramel treat

100g butter

1/2 t sea salt

3 T rum (optional)

G A R N I S H

Salted popcorn

S P E C I A L I Z E D E Q U I P M E N T:

instant pot duo plus

spring form pan

blender/ food processor

electric mixer

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C R U S T

Process the biscuits until fine in a food processor, then add the melted butter. Press mixture into a lined springform pan. Refrigerate to chill for 30 minutes or bake for 10 minutes until the sides are golden, then cool it down.

F I L L I N G

Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat it the brown sugar, then the flour. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream, vanilla, salt and beat until well combined. Pour into the lined tin and tap the tin against the counter to get rid of air bubbles.

B A K E

Place a steamer rack and pour 1 cup of into the inner pot. Bring to the boil. Press pressure cook at high pressure for 28 minutes. When the water starts to boil, place the tin on the steamer rack with a foil sling. Immediately close the lid and let it pressure cook. It should go up to pressure in approximately 1 minute. Pressure cook for 28 minutes then full natural pressure release (approximately 7 - 9 minutes). Once its done, open the lid gradually and allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature in the instant pot or place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

After cooling for 10-15 minutes run a pairing knife between the side of the parchment paper to release the cheese from the tin. Once the cheesecake is cool, place it in the fridge for at least 4-8 hours or preferably overnight.

C A R A M E L

Heat the caramel, butter and 8T of water in a pan and bring to a simmer. Stir until the caramel dissolves. Add the salt and the rum (if using) , mix and cool slightly

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T O S E R V E

Pour the caramel over the cheesecake and scatter salted popcorn over. Enjoy!