Instant Pot Chocolate Éclair Cheesecake Recipe

Method

• 1)

  Fill a large bowl with hot tap water from your sink, place the 2 Large Eggs into the bowl and set aside.  Cut the cream cheese into small blocks, place it into a microwave safe bowl. Heat the cream cheese for 15 seconds, take it out, give it a stir than microwave for another 10 seconds then stir and check again – continue with 10 second increments until it’s very soft. 

• 2)

  In your mixing bowl, add 1 Cup + 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar, ¼ Cup + 2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder  and 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch – stir with a whisk to combine well.  Add the 16oz of softened Cream Cheese and ¼ Cup Heavy Cream.  Use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, it incorporates the least amount of air into the batter and turn to the the slowest / Stir setting and let it mix until it looks smooth.  Scrape the bowl several times to ensure an even mixture. 

• 3)

  Remove the bowl from the mixer, add 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract and 2 Large Eggs, hand stir with a whisk until the eggs  are completely incorporated and the batter is smooth and homogeneous.   Don’t whisk vigorously, just steady circular stirring will get the batter perfect.  

• 4)

  Trace the bottom of your 7 inch pan on parchment paper and cut out the circle to line the bottom of the pan.  You do not need to line the sides with parchment, use a stick of butter, grease the the interior side of the pan very well. This makes it easier to release the cheesecake from the pan & prevents cracking. Add the Golden Oreo Cookie Crumbs and 3 Tablespoons of melted Salted Butter into a bowl and mix well.  Pour the crumbs into your springform pan and press firmly onto the bottom, you can use a spoon or something with a flat bottom like a small ramekin to help even out the crust.

• 5)

  Pour the batter into your cheesecake pan. Pick up the pan and tap it a few times on the counter to even out the batter and this also helps pop air bubbles in your batter. Place a paper towel on top of the pan, it should not touch the cheesecake. Place one piece of foil on top and seal tightly,  then another piece of foil the bottom that wraps up towards the top ~ the entire pan should be covered ~ this helps prevent steam getting on your cheesecake. The cooking time for this recipe is also designed for this wrapping technique (your cheesecake could turn out overcooked if you’re not wrapping the top and bottom)

• 6)

  Place 1½ Cups of water into the Instant Pot and place the trivet into it. Carefully place the the cheesecake pan on top of the trivet or use a Silicone Sling for easy lifting (purchase here). If you have a separate sealing ring you use for desserts, place that one on the lid.  Seal the lid and switch the knob to “Sealing”.   Set the Instant Pot for High Pressure / Manual for 45 minutes. Once the timer is up and you hear the beep, wait an additional 15 minutes while the pot releases the pressure naturally.  If the pin hasn’t dropped on it’s own after 15 minutes, switch the knob to “Venting” and when the pin drops open your lid. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the Instant Pot. Unwrap the foil, the pan will still be hot so use mitts or kitchen tongs.  Leave it on the counter to cool for about 1.5 hours. Cover the pan and place it into the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

  ***Different Instant Pot models, living in higher elevation or even different springform pans may change the cook time. If there is no jiggle in the very center, the cheesecake is most likely overcooked (overcooked cheesecakes are eggy and grainy instead of creamy), use 5-10 minutes less cooking time next time. If your cheesecake looks like liquid in the middle, it’s under cooked. Make sure there’s still 1½ Cups of water in the pot, recover the pan and cook for another 5 mins on High Pressure and 5 minute natural pressure release (repeat if necessary).

• 7)

  After it’s been refrigerated, leave the cheesecake the pan and add 1½ Cups Cool Whip or Homemade Whipped Cream to the top of the cheesecake, use a spoon to even it out.  Scrape out the fudge filling from the 5 Keebler Elfwhich Cookies, place the filling onto a piece of parchment paper and put it into the freezer for 20 minutes.  Chop the Keebler cookies into small crumbs.  Once the fudge filling is solid, remove it from the freezer and chop into small crumb pieces.  Sprinkle the cookie crumbs on top of the whipped cream, then sprinkle on the fudge pieces, use a spoon to gently press the crumbs into the whipped cream.  You can serve immediately, the topping will be a little crunchy.  If you put it back into the refrigerator for a few hours, the crumbs will soften up and the texture will be more similar to the coating on the Chocolate Eclair bars.  Enjoy!