New York-Style Cheesecake with Praline Topping in the Instant Pot

As a cheesecake lover, I can truly say that there is always room for one more cheesecake recipe. Today, I am making a small, classic “New York-Style Cheesecake” which is inspired by a trip which we took to New York City. The recipe has a twist — I am “baking” it in my Instant Pot. When I first noticed this Instant Pot recipe, my reponse was, “You can’t do that in an Instant Pot.” However, I gave the idea some additional thought and reconsidered. Logically, cheesecakes are often “steamed” in a water bath in the oven. The Instant Pot uses steam to raise the temperature in the Instant Pot which cooks the food quicker. Will this steaming concept work with a cheesecake? Let’s see. I located a classic cheesecake recipe — which is spot on — and reduced the ingredient quantities to fit into an 8″ diameter springform pan and my Intant Pot. For a little variation, I added a praline topping and an oatmeal crust. It’s a small cheesecake, but as long as the consistency and flavor is there, then okay. Here we go.

The results? This is my cheesecake. It turned out great! The cheescake is full of flavor, it is smooth — just like the ones which I sampled in New York City. Plus, both the oatmeal crust and praline topping added flavor.

Recipe Inspiration

My inspiration for making this classic cheesecake recipe came from trip we took to New York City. I can’t believe that this visit was just about a year ago. We went on a short whirl wind vacation to the “Big Apple” to attend a concert at Carnegie Hall. My daughter and her “band” (a.k.a.. the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra) was performing Beethoven Symphony No. 9. Granted, our daughter — who played upright bass in the concert — was a small part of the orchestra. But for us, she was the main attraction. This was the Maestro’s dream concert — he bussed the orchestra in from Boston, conducted the music in the way it was truly meant to be played by Beethoven. The concert was sold out — magnificant. We were the proud parents.

A Bit of Sighseeing in New York City, Junior’s Restaurant and the “World’s Most Famous New York Cheesecake“

We also did a little sightseeing while we were in New York City. It was so, so cold in the city on that particular day. Coming from Louisiana, we just weren’t prepared for the windy, cold weather. We walked around Time Square and dodged onto a side street to get out of the wind. And what did we see? We happened to notice Junior’s Restaurant as we walked along. This restaurant happens to pride itself in serving the “World’s Most Famous Cheesecake.” The orange and white decor from the 1950’s let us know that we had made it to the “real” cheesecake restaurant. Although this was not one of our planned activities, I have always wanted to sample an authentic New York-style cheesecake. And, here we were.

There were so many varieties of cheesecake on the menu. How do you pick just one flavor? Our cheesecake had a rasberry filling and glaze. Of course, the cheesecake didn’t disappoint us — it was dense and rich with a tangy flavor. I was so glad to get out of the cold weather, that we took a long, long time to savor the cheesecake and drink our coffee.

Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipe Adaptations

Now, I’m back home to the “real” world and ready to try out my own “New York-style” cheesecake recipe. To cook dessert recipes, as well as other types of foods, in an Instant Pot, recipe adaptations are often needed. As I plotted out my course of action, I realized that I was going to need to make several modifications to the cheesecake recipe process: These were:

1. You must locate a springform pan which will fit into the inner lining of the Instant Pot and still have a little room around the edges. I rummaged around and dug up an 8″springform pan, which has a removable bottom. It just fit with a tiny bit of room on the sides for the steam to excape.
2. Downscale the crust and filling ingredients to accomodate the smaller springform pan.
3. Invent some sort of “sling” or contraption to lower and raise the springform pan in and out of the inner lining. I was tempted to skip this step, but am glad I didn’t as was difficult to maneuver with the tight fit of the springform pan.
4. Wrap the springform pan with aluminum foil to make a tight seal around the pan. Otherwise, the result is a soggy bottom crust.

Cheesecake Recipe

The recipe for my cheesecake is a traditional cheesecake filling and crust. Other than quantities, I didn’t modify the ingredients. I did, however, use an oatmeal crust. Junior’s New York cheesecakes always have a sponge cake for the crust which helps lighten the cake. I thought that an oatmeal crust might withstand the rigors of the Instant Pot and decided on this substitution. Plus, it is easy to make! However, after this cheesecake experiment, I see that any crust, such as a graham cracker crust, would work.

Here are the ingredients for the crust. I pre-baked the crust in the oven since I was worried about a soggy crust made in an Instant Pot. To make the crust, mix together the old-fashioned oatmeal, sugar, melted butter and a pinch of salt. Press into the bottom of the springform pan and bake. Cool.

The filling is a traditional cheesecake filling.

Make the filling by beating the ingredients together, one at a time, with an electric mixer — cream cheeese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, cornstarch and sour cream. Make sure that the ingredients — eggs, cream cheese and sour cream — are at room temperature before beginning. Pour the filling into the prepared baked crust and springform pan which you have securely wrapped in aluminum foil.

To simplfy things, I added a praline topping before the cheesecake baked. Use either pralines or make a praline syrup of brown sugar, water and pecan halves.

Add water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. This process just won’t work unless you add water to create steam to bake the cheesecake. Don’t forget it. Add the trivet with the handles folded down. Lower the cheesecake into the Instant Pot using the homemade aluminum foil “sling.” Lock the Instant Pot lid in place and “Pressure Cook” the cheesecake for 35 minutes.

After letting the steam release naturally for another 25 minutes, finish releasing the steam and remove the cheesecake. Let the cheesecake cool on the kitchen counter and then unwrap and remove the aluminum foil.

Let the cheesescake chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Then, remove the sides of the springform pan and serve. (Leave it on the bottom of the springform pan.) Yes, this cheesecake is remarkably like the “real” New York cheesecake which we ate at Junior’s restaurant in the “Big Apple.”

My experiment of adapting a cheesecake recipe to cook in an Instant Pot was a success. The steaming process of the Instant Pot resulted in a creamy and smooth cheesecake filling. Plus, the cheesecake “baked” much quicker than in a traditional oven. The oatmeal crust was crisp, not soggy.

Will I try to make other desserts in an Instant Pot? Unless there is a significant advantage of using an Instant Pot to make a dessert, I’ll probably keep to the traditional method of baking in the oven. Some things just don’t get better with modern appliances.

Our quick weekend trip to New York City was a success. It was so rewarding to listen to the classical music concert at Carnegie Hall and watch our daughter participate. And, I love trips which allow time for a little spontaneous exploring. Thanks to the cold, windy weather at Times Square, we discovered the “real” New York cheesecake. A little lagniappe!

I love cheesecakes, especially with a cup of strong coffee. The Instant Pot turned out to be a successful way to bake a small cheesecake. Enjoy the recipe.