This is not an ordinary Instant Pot cheesecake! Inspired by the coconut and almond flavours of the Raffaello sweets, this pressure-cooked cheesecake is as decadent and delicious as it looks. Must-try recipe!
Have you ever made a dessert using your Instant Pot? Turns out you can make all sorts of sweet treats in a pressure cooker and one of the most popular things to make is cheesecake.
We decided to try it out but instead of making an all-too-familiar vanilla cheesecake, we went for something a little more decadent and unique. We made Raffaello cheesecake. Have you ever had those amazing white chocolate, coconut and almond balls? Even if you haven’t, this cheesecake recipe is something you definitely want to make.
This is a beautiful, creamy and slightly decadent cheesecake and would be an amazing dessert to make for a special occasion or the weekend. It keeps for about 5-6 days in the refrigerator (we simply wrapped it in foil) and can be turned into different variations (e.g. add cacao powder into the filling for a more chocolaty version, or mix in some strawberries for strawberry & white chocolate twist).
Check out these 10 cheesecakes and these drool-worthy Instant Pot desserts for more sweet inspiration.
HOW TO MAKE RAFFAELLO CHEESECAKE IN INSTANT POT
You can find the full recipe with ingredients and instructions below but here are some handy step-by-step photos to follow along. You will need a round springform cake tin with removable bottom (choose the size that fits inside your Instant Pot, we used Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart and 6” round cake tin).
To recreate the Raffaello flavours, we used ground up butter biscuits/crackers mixed with almond meal, desiccated (unsweetened) coconut and melted butter for the crust.
Add the crust mixture into a springform tin lined with a round piece of parchment paper. Press it down until firm and compact, making sure there are no holes or cracks. Press the mixture right to the edges and up the sides slightly, creating a little depth in the crust layer. Pop in the freezer for half an hour to firm up.
For the cheesecake filling, we have two layers: firmer cooked cheesecake and softer, uncooked cream. In both layers, we used white chocolate, which provides sweetness, flavour and creaminess similar to the centre of the Raffaello. Coconut cream is also used in the main cheesecake layer.
Note: We used a can of full-fat coconut milk (50-60% coconut content), which we refrigerated for 1-2 hours so that the milk thickens and the cream park separates from the liquid.
The main cheesecake layer is cooked in the Instant Pot. We wrapped the bottom of the cake tin with foil to prevent any possible liquid from leaking through (although the crust should stop that from happening). You will also need to create a sling using foil.
Measure out a long piece of foil and fold it into three parts, creating a long strip that will be used to pull the tin out of the inner pot once the cheesecake is cooked. We added a cup of water to the inner pot and placed the cake tin on top of a trivet, with the foil sling sitting underneath.
Once the cake is cooked, you will need to cool it down for about half an hour. Then the top, creamy white chocolate and mascarpone layer is spread over the top and the whole cake is refrigerated for 6-12 hours before taken out of the tin and decorated.
For decoration, we used extra desiccated coconut, toasted almond flakes (you can do this in an oven or in a hot frying pan for 2-3 minutes). Finally, place the whole Raffaellos around the edges of the cake. If you like, you can add some fresh berries on top for colour, but we like it elegantly white as is.
Instant Pot Raffaello Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is not an ordinary Instant Pot cheesecake! Inspired by the coconut and almond flavours of the Raffaello sweets, this pressure cooked cheesecake is as decadent and delicious as it looks. Must-try recipe!
Ingredients
For the crust layer
- 3–3.5 oz / 100-110 g butter biscuits/graham crackers
- 2/3 cup of almond meal (80 g)
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
- 3 oz / 90-100 g unsalted butter (melted until just warm)
For the middle layer of the filling
- 6 oz / 180-200 g white chocolate (bar or buttons)
- 1/2 can coconut milk (use thickened cream part only, discard the separated liquid or use in a smoothie)
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 14 oz / 400 g light cream cheese (2 x 200 g tabs)
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons tapioca flour or starch or arrowroot starch (corn or rice starch would also work)
From the top layer
- About 1.5–2 oz / 50 g white chocolate
- 8–9 oz / 250 g mascarpone cream cheese (see notes for alternatives below)
Instructions
- First, make the crust of the cheesecake.
- Grind the crackers in a food processor or with a rolling pin in a plastic bag. Add the almond meal, coconut and melted butter and process together until the mixture comes together. You can use a fork or a spoon to mix them through.
- Cut out a round-shaped piece of parchment paper and place it on the bottom of a 6” springform cake tin. Transfer the crust mixture into the tin and press it down using your fingers until it’s tightly packed down. We want an even crust bottom with the edges going up to the sides slightly. Make sure there are no visible gaps or holes. Place the tin in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the middle layer of the cheesecake.
- Place the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a pot of boiling water. The bowl will heat up from the steam and the chocolate will slowly melt. Once the white chocolate is soft and runny, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the coconut cream (thickened part of the coconut milk). You can also use a microwave to melt the chocolate.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and cream cheese. Add the lime or lemon juice, a small pinch of salt and the tapioca starch or arrowroot starch and stir through until well combined. Pour the white chocolate and coconut mixture into the cream cheese and whisk together well.
- Remove the prepared cake tin with the crust from the freezer and warp the bottom of it with foil (to catch any liquid that might escape). Pour the filling mixture into the tin.
- Fold a large piece of foil (about 18”) into thirds to make a long strip, this will be our sling for removing the cake tin once it is cooked. It should be long enough to wrap under the tin cake and to have two sides overlap over the top as handles.
- Place a trivet inside the inner pot of the Instant Pot and add a cup of water. Lower the foil sling into the pot. Carefully, place the cake tin together with the foil handles wrapped underneath into the pot, on top of trivet (so it’s not touching the water). Cover the top of the tin with some foil as well. Close and lock the lid. Set to Manual, High pressure for 35 minutes. After 3 beeps the Instant Pot will start to build up the pressure and the cooking will begin. Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally (this will take about 10-15 minutes).
- Open the lid and remove the cheesecake from the Instant pot using the foil sling and place on a wire rack or a board to cool for 30 minutes to an hour. Don’t worry if the texture of the cheesecake looks a little wobbly, wet or pannacotta-like. Once it sets in the fridge, it will feel and look like a regular cheesecake. If there is a little puddle of water in the middle of the cheesecake (from condensation), use a spoon to scoop it out.
- While the cheesecake is cooling, prepare the top layer of the filling. Once again, melt the remaining white chocolate (on the stove over hot water or in a microwave) and once soft and runny, remove from heat and mix in the mascarpone cream until smooth. Set aside.
- Once the cheesecake is slightly cooled, spoon the mascarpone mixture over the top and spread it with a knife or a spatula. Cover the cake tin with foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, ideally.
- Once set, release the spring of the cake tin and remove the sides. We left the cheesecake on the bottom layer of the cake tin and placed it on a platter. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with more shredded coconut, shaved almonds (you can toast those in a small pan for a minute or two to give them a nice colour) and decorate with whole Raffaellos around the edges.
- Store the cheesecake for 5-6 days in the fridge, covered loosely with foil or packed into a cake container. Enjoy!
Notes
Mascarpone is a mild, creamy double-cream cream cheese with a fat content of 80%. It is made from cream, which is thickened with citric, tartaric or acetic acid. Whipped double cream or thickened cream can also be used instead, or a mixture of cream cheese and thickened cream instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 644
- Sugar: 20.1 g
- Sodium: 543.4 mg
- Fat: 48.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 22.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.4 g
- Fiber: 4.9 g
- Protein: 16.1 g
- Cholesterol: 120.1 mg
SAVE THIS CHEESECAKE RECIPE TO PINTEREST
Can this be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze for up to 3 months. Try placing it in the freezer for one hour to harden. Take it out, wrap it with two layers of plastic wrap and then two layers of foil.
This came out sooo yummy. This was my first attempt at cheesecake in my IP. I love coconut and thought it lacked that flavor but it could’ve just been the brand of coconut cream that I used. Very decadent!
★★★★★
Thanks! Glad you love it.