This Instant Pot New York Cheesecake is inspired by Lindy's Restaurant in New York, known for their famous Cheesecake. This will blow your mind. Really it will!
Add cookies and sugar to the bowl of food processor and pulse a couple of times, until small crumbs form. Melt butter in microwave or on stove top and add to graham cracker mixture. Pulse until just combined.
Pour cookie mixture into bottom of greased 6-inch cheesecake pan and press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan and no more than one inch up along the sides.
Place pan with crust into freezer for 20 minutes while you mix up the filling.
Filling
Blend together cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, flour, grated peels, salt and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, lightly mixing until just combined. Do not over mix the eggs.
Pour filling into the pan, on top of the crust.
Cook
Add 1.5 cups of water to the bottom of your pressure cooker and then place a trivet inside the pot.
Cover the cheesecake first with a paper towel and then with a piece of aluminum foil and loosely secure the foil.
Place cheesecake into pressure cooker using a sling.
Lock on lid and close Pressure Valve. Cook at High Pressure for 38 minutes. When beep sounds, wait 18 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
After all pressure has been released, open pressure cooker and gently remove the pan. Remove the foil and paper towel. Tilt the cheesecake pan and dab off any liquid that may have accumulated.
The center (no more than an inch) will be slightly jiggly (not wet, JIGGLY), but don't worry. The heat that is trapped inside will continue to cook the center while the cheesecake cools.
Top Layer
Whisk together the sour cream, extract and sugar to make a Sweet Crème Fraîche and then spread on the hot cheesecake. Let cool on wire rack for at least one hour.
Lightly cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Cheesecake can be removed from pan after an hour in the refrigerator.
Notes
Cheesecake needs a full 24 hours to set properly, develop flavor and become dense. Otherwise, the Cheesecake will be eggy, light, not dense and flavorless.If there is liquid on the top of your cheesecake, put it back into the Pressure Cooker for 5 more minutes with a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release.Any kind of Crispy Cookie Crumbs can be used, such as Nilla Wafers, Shortbread, Ginger Snaps, Chocolate Thins, Biscoff, Oreo, Lorna Dune, etc. Biscoff Cookies work best for the crispest crust.Parchment Rounds make life so much easier and butter is your friend - grease well!A Fox Run Tart Tamper helps to press the crumbs into the Pan, but your fingers will work well. Freezing the crust while preparing the filling is suggested. Prevent a soggy crust by first reading these guidelines.Orange and Lemon Zests - with such a tiny amount, citrus is not detected, but they brighten the recipe and take the flavor to a whole other level. Don't skip. :)
Regarding Sour Cream
For those who say they hate sour cream. I promise you will NOT know that there is sour cream on the top layer. It becomes just creamy, refreshing and sweet and really makes this cake special. I challenge you to try this recipe as written and then let me know your thoughts. :)
A sweetened sour cream is the top layer of a true and traditional New York Cheesecake. Similar in flavor to a sweetened crème fraîche, this layer melts into the cheesecake and becomes one with the cake. Yogurt can be substituted for sour cream. You will need to add an extra 1/2 teaspoon (or more, depending on how tarty the yogurt is) to the sour cream layer.
Regarding Flour
All Purpose Four is used to make the cheesecake more dense, but you can totally leave it out. Your texture will be creamier.
For a denser filling without using flour add 5 minutes to your cook time.
Timing for Various Size Pans
If using a 7 inch Cheesecake Pan for this recipe as is, reduce cook time by 5 minutes.
For a taller 7 inch Cheesecake, increase recipe by one half the amount and cook for 38 minutes.
For an 8 inch Cheesecake, double the recipe and cook for 40 minutes.
If using the mini 4 inch pans, divide into three mini pans and cook for 12 minutes, with an 18 minute Natural Pressure Release.
If using 5 inch pans, cook for 17 minutes, with an 18 minute Natural Pressure Release.