Instant Pot Italian Ricotta Cheesecake. A lighter tasting cheesecake with a mix of ricotta and cream cheese.
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Reader Ray needs an Instant Pot Italian Ricotta Cheesecake recipe. I can’t let him down, can I? Of course not!
I started researching recipes, which broke down into two major techniques. The first is all-ricotta-cheese cakes, usually with the egg separated, the egg whites whipped and folded into the cake. In other words, a ricotta soufflé. The other kind are Italian-American hybrids, using both cream cheese and ricotta cheese. That’s the kind I went with - I’ve never had much luck with soufflés, and separating and whipping seemed like too much work.
After that it was pretty much my standard Instant Pot Cheesecake Technique, with ricotta mixed in. Oh, and a dusting of powdered sugar, and seedless raspberry jam as a topping. Looking for a cheesecake with Italian sprezzatura? Here it is.
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Instant Pot Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 pieces of cheesecake 1x
Description
Instant Pot Italian Ricotta Cheesecake. A lighter tasting cheesecake with a mix of ricotta and cream cheese.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 15 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese, drained
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (a pinch)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or ½ tsp vanilla + ½ tsp amaretto liqueur)
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange
- 2 large eggs
Toppings
- Powdered sugar
- Seedless raspberry jam, whisked until smooth
Instructions
- Drain the ricotta and soften the cream cheese for 1 hour: Drain the ricotta in a fine mesh strainer, and soften the cream cheese by leaving it out at room temperature; do both for at least 1 hour.
- Prepare the pan: Spray a 7-inch cheesecake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Beat the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in an electric mixer on medium speed until the sugar is completely blended, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the vanilla and lemon zest, and beat on medium speed until mixed, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each on low speed until just blended. (Don’t over-beat the eggs.) Pour the filling into the prepared cheesecake pan.
- Lower the cheesecake into the Instant Pot: Put 2 cups of water in the Instant Pot (or pressure cooker). If your steaming rack has handles, set the cheesecake on the rack and slowly lower it into the pot. (If your rack does not have handles, set the rack in the pot, then make an aluminum foil sling for the cheesecake: fold a 2-foot long piece of aluminum foil over a few times until it is a long strip about 4 inches wide. Center the cheesecake pan on the sling and carefully lower it into the pot, setting it on the rack.)
- Pressure cook the cheesecake for 20 minutes with a natural pressure release: Lock the lid on the cooker and pressure cook on high for 20 minutes in an Instant Pot (use Manual or Pressure Cook mode) or other electric PC. Or, pressure cook for 20 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 15 minutes more. (If you’re in a hurry, you can quick release any pressure left in the pot after 15 minutes.)
- Cool the cheesecake, top with powdered sugar and raspberry jam, and serve: Lift the cheesecake out of the pressure cooker. Loosen the cheesecake by running a paring knife around the edge of the pan. Cool the pan at room temperature for an hour, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to set the center. Just before serving, dust the top of the cheesecake generously with powdered sugar, top with the whisked raspberry jam, and serve.
Notes
This cheesecake does not usually have a crust; if you want one, pack ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons of melted butter into the bottom of the prepared springform pan before adding the cheesecake batter.
The cornstarch helps keep the cheesecake from cracking, and a lot of the recipes I saw use it. But, I still get some cracking, even with the cornstarch, as the cheesecake settles. Oh, well.
If you have good fresh raspberries available, use them as a topping instead of the jam
Different sized pan: I haven’t had time to test them yet. I’ve heard from readers that a 6-inch wide, 3-inch high cheesecake pan will work…but it might take a little extra cooking. I’d go 25 minutes under pressure.
Using an 8 Quart pressure cooker? I use this recipe as-is, with my 7-inch cheesecake pan in my 8-quart pressure cooker. It works great. Will it work with a larger pan in the larger cooker? Yes, but it will change the cooking time. I haven’t tested it, so I don’t know how long. If you’ve made larger pressure cooker cheesecakes, let us know how it went in the comments.
Tools
6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker)
7-inch springform pan (I use this one from Nordic Ware)
Pressure Cooker Rack (I use this silicone pressure cooker baking sling from Oxo)
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
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What do you think?
Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
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Susan says
Would give 6 stars if available. For years I made cheesecake with cream cheese and ricotta so I knew this one would be good and I wasn't disappointed. It was very easy to make and tasted delicious. I ate the whole cake over the course of a week. I read the post who added 1 and 3/4 T. of amaretto which I will try this time. Don't hesitate on this recipe. I will search other recipes from Dad as I'm sure they will all be good!
Mike Vrobel says
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Daisey says
No crust. Does this leak with out putting a crust. Do you wrap the cheesecake pan with foil ??
Mike Vrobel says
No, it does not leak. The batter is thick enough that my springform pan holds it in.
Rita says
.I made this for my hubby last night, we cut into it this evening and it was wonderful! Both the taste and texture were perfect. Cheesecake is one of Hubby's favorite desserts and I have made it in the past with mixed results. This recipe was simple to make and so easy to bake in the IP!
I used a 6"x3" pan in my 8 qt IP and cooked it for 25 minutes under pressure with a natural release. I followed the recipe, except that I didn't have lemon zest or Amarreto, so I used 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of a good quality lemoncello. I also did not add a crust, which we did not miss (except for the calories!).
I will definitely be making this again! Thank you so much for sharing!
Mike Vrobel says
You're welcome!
Heather says
Great recipe, thank you. My first dessert in the instant pot. I did not drain the ricotta and it came out fine. I also used the crust recipe in the notes.
Dale Waters says
I purchased Galbani Ricotta Cheese by mistake, not the extra creamy version. I noticed the mixture was a little heavier as I mixed the ingredients. Of course, I used your recipe and this time I allowed the NR to extend to no pressure left in the Instant Pot. There is no weeping and I am pleasantly surprised. I definitely will be making it this way again. I will try it with the creamy version of Ricotta and see what results I get. Again, this is the best recipe I've found! Thank you!
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome - glad you enjoyed it!
Dale says
I like this recipe because it was simple and the eggs could be added whole. In making this recipe I gently beat the batter and folded in the eggs. The cheesecake was so light and fluffy and did not collapse or fall. I added one and 3/4 tablespoons of Amaretto and topped it with home made lemon curd. Needless to say this recipe did not disappoint! Thank you for a great recipe which will be used many times!
Mike Vrobel says
You’re welcome!
Anne says
Followed the recipe using my 6” springform. 20 minutes and it set beautifully. I did cover it with foil since previous cheesecakes ended up with lots of condensation. Foil was very wet so glad I did. Delicious! Nice and light compared to all cream cheese versions.
Mike Vrobel says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Nancy says
I haven't made the recipe yet but it looks interesting. I have made a couple of cheesecakes in my IP, but they were rather bland and not sweet enough. I'm looking forward to giving this a try.