Butterscotch Cheesecake

Butterscotch is made for cream cheese! Okay, well, it should be. It’s got the rich level of sweetness to match the slightly sour flavor of the cheese. But rather than making butterscotch from scratch for this cheesecake, we use a butterscotch ice cream topping, which also makes for a rich, dense dessert. We’ve added nutmeg to the batter, perhaps a surprise, because it lightens the flavors slightly and foregrounds the molasses notes found in the crust and the dark brown sugar.

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Dessert

Difficulty

Medium

Duration

more than 2 hours

Keywords

1 cheesecake, all-purpose flour, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, contributed, cook 45 min, cups water, dessert, fat-free, for 10 minutes, graham cracker crumbs, grated nutmeg, heavy cream, instant pot, instant pot butterscotch cheesecake, instant pot cheesecake recipes, large eggs at room temperature, medium, modern, molasses, more than 2 hours, packed dark brown sugar, prep 10 min, purchased butterscotch ice cream topping, spray, table salt, vanilla extract

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

45 min

Servings

1 cheesecake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
Baking spray
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter melted and cooled for 10 minutes
1 tbsp molasses
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup purchased butterscotch ice cream topping
2 large eggs at room temperature
3 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb regular cream cheese at room temp do not use low-fat or fat-free

Instructions

Pour the water into the insert set in a 5-, 6-, or 8-quart Instant Pot. Put a pressure-safe rack or trivet in the insert.
Generously coat the inside of a 7 inch round springform pan with baking spray. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and molasses in a medium bowl until uniform and well moistened. Pour this mixture into the prepared pan and press an even crust across the bottom of the pan and about halfway up the sides.
Put the cream cheese, brown sugar, butterscotch topping, eggs, cream, flour, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt in a food processor. Cover and process until smooth, stopping the machine at least once to scrape down the inside of the canister.
Use a rubber spatula to gently pour this mixture into the prepared pan (be gentle so as to keep the crust intact). Smooth the top and rap the pan on the counter once or twice to get rid of any air bubbles. Set the pan on the rack and lock the lid on the pot.
Set Instant Pot for Pressure Cook or Manual on High Pressure for 25 minutes. Ensure the valve is closed and the keep warm setting is off.
When the pot has finished cooking, turn it off and let the pressure return to normal naturally, about 20 minutes. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Use a paper towel to blot any drips off the top of the cheesecake. Use hot pads or silicone baking mitts to transfer the (hot!) pan to a nearby wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes, then unlatch the ring side from the springform pan but do not remove the ring side. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Uncover and remove the side ring before slicing and serving.

Notes

Beyond
• Once the cheesecake has been properly chilled, spread about 1/2 cup butterscotch ice cream
topping over the cheesecake, then top with 1 cup caramel corn (that is, caramel coated popcorn).
Other Pots
• Because of the size of the pan and the ratios of the ingredients, this recipe will not work in a 3-quart Instant Pot.
• For a 10-quart Instant Pot, you must increase the amount of water in the insert to 21/2 cups while otherwise completing the recipe as stated.

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