NATURAL RELEASE / VEGETARIAN
6 to 8 servings
This cheesecake is thick and chewy, sort of like a cross between chocolate frosting and cheesecake. Even more than the classic cheesecake, this one needs to ripen in the fridge, if only to develop its sophisticated flavor.
For the best success, start with bittersweet chocolate (around 70% cocoa solids). Chop it and set it in a microwave-wave safe bowl. Microwave on high in 5-second bursts, stirring after each, until about two-thirds melted, then remove the bowl and continue stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled, plus additional butter for greasing the pan
1 pound regular cream cheese
¾ cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
¾ cup regular sour cream
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups water
1. Generously butter the inside of a 7-inch round springform pan. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a medium bowl, then pour into the prepared pan. Press this mixture evenly across the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the pan to make a crust.
2. Put the cream cheese and sugar in a food processor, cover, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the eggs one at a time, processing each until smooth. Then add the egg yolk and process until smooth. Open the machine, scrape down the inside, and add the sour cream. Cover and again process until smooth.
3. Add the melted and cooled chocolate and the cocoa powder. Process again until smooth—and once again, stop the machine and scrape down the inside. Pour this mixture into the prepared crust in the pan (it will rise above the crust on the sides).
4. Pour the water into a 6- or 8-quart cooker. Set a heat- and pressure-safe trivet in the cooker. Make an aluminum foil sling (see here), set the filled but uncovered springform pan on it, and use the sling to lower the pan into the pot. Fold down the ends of the sling so that they do not touch the cheesecake batter in the pan. Lock the lid onto the pot.
5.
Set the machine for: PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL
Set the level for: HIGH
The valve must be: Closed
Set the time for: 25 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
6. When the machine has finished cooking, turn it off and let its pressure return to normal naturally, about 20 minutes. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Use the sling to transfer the hot springform pan to a wire rack. Cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Cover and continue refrigerating for at least 1 more hour or up to 2 days.
7. To serve, uncover and run a thin knife between the pan and the cake. Unlatch the sides of the pan and open it to remove the cake inside. If desired, use a long, thin knife to slice the cake off the pan’s base and use a large metal spatula to transfer the cheesecake to a serving platter.