German Chocolate Cheesecake Made in an Instant-Pot

Many times are busy. It is an annual tradition to make my dad a German Chocolate Cake for his birthday, but because of the lack of time I wondered when I could make it. Then I remembered his favorite cooking gadget: the instant pot. So what if I could combine two of his favorite things...? And ta-da! A German Chocolate Cheesecake made in the instant pot, that will be sure to get you smiling and saying "cheese" upon your first bite!

Preparation:

1. Parchment paper
2. 7 inch springform pan with four cup capacity

For the Crust:

1. 8 Ounces of chocolate cookies (or easily make your own!)
2. About 1/4 cup of softened butter

For the Cheese Filling:

1. 16 Ounces of softened cream cheese
2. 1/2 cup of cane sugar
3. two tablespoons of dark cocoa powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. One teaspoon vanilla extract
6. Two eggs
7. 3/4 cup of dark cacao chocolate (I used 75%)

For The topping:

1. Four tablespoons of butter
2. Two room-temperature egg yolks
3. 1/2 cup evaporated milk
4. 1/2 cup cane sugar
5. a pinch of salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. 1/2 cup of chopped pecans
8. 3/4 cup of flaked or shredded coconut

For the Ganache:

1. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2. 1/3 cup chocolate

Line your pan with parchment paper. Cut a circle for the bottom (which you can measure by drawing around the pan) and a long strip for the sides. To get it to stick, grease the sides of the pan with a thin layer of butter. You butter do this if you don't want it to stick!

Take your cookies and put them in the blender (I know it hurts to watch them get shredded up, you just have to be a tough cookie!) until fine to pea-sized crumbs. Then, melt the butter in a small to medium sized bowl and add the cookie crumbs to it. Lastly, press down into prepared pan, making sure to make the edges go slightly up the pan to have a sort of bowl/dish for the cheesecake filling. Place in freezer while you make the filling.

Put all your softened cream cheese into an electric mixer and mix until smooth and no longer block shaped. Slowly add in the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. It should look chocolatey and creamy and delicious. Then, having the mixer at a slow speed crack in one egg. Once combined, add the second and the vanilla extract.

Melt your chocolate and then pop in the fridge for a bit so that it is not so hot as to cook the eggs. Then, slowly pour it into the cheesecake mixture at a low speed. When combined (and after taste testing of course), pour cheesecake mixture onto the crust.

Take out your instant-pot and fill the metal bowl with about one and 3/4 cups of water. Take the trivet steel steamer rack that should be included with your instant pot, and place it inside. Then, carefully put the cheesecake on top of it inside the instant pot. Make sure to seal your lid on correctly and set you instant pot up, and cook for 35 minutes. (If using oven you can bake for an hour and a half at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.) When complete, release any remaining pressure for around eleven minutes.

Once the cheesecake is close to room temperature, place in the fridge for about five hours. In the meantime, you can make the topping! Chop up your pecans and measure out the shredded coconut. For extra flavor, roast the pecans for ten minutes. Then on a low heat, melt the butter, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, and egg yolks together. Make sure not to let it get too hot, or it will cook the egg yolks. It will start to bubble and thicken, which is when you add the coconuts and pecans and take off the heat. Let it cool to room temperature so that it thickens up.

Once the cheesecake is set and the topping is cooled, you can put the topping over the cheesecake. I did this in the evening, and then put it in the fridge overnight again to set.

Lastly, make the ganache! To do this, heat the heavy whipping cream up on a stove, and when it starts to simmer, pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Mix with a spatula. It should be drizzling consistency. If not, put water in the pot and put the bowl with chocolate over the pot. Add some more heavy whipping cream, and stir until silky smooth.

Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and drizzle the chocolate over it. The coolness of the cake should allow the ganache to quickly set. And you are finished!

Now comes the best step... eating it! Thank you for looking at this recipe, and I hope you had as much fun making it (and eating it) as I have! Say "cheese"!