Red velvet swirl cheesecake is easy to make in an instant pot. This recipe uses a graham cracker crust with a creamy red velvet topping. Simply delicious!
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With colors that will please Santa or colors that are perfect for Valentine’s Day, a luscious red instant pot red velvet swirl cheesecake is also perfect for date-night any time of the year!
What is cheesecake? Cheesecake is a layered dessert. The bottom layer or crust is made of crushed cookies or cake, while the top layer is a mix of cream cheese, sugar, and eggs.
Who invented cheesecake?
Cheesecake existed in ancient Greece as far back as the 5th century. Called “plakountos” or “placenta cake” which translates to “flat”, it was basically layers of fresh cheese, dough, and honey flavored with bay leaves. How do we know this? The Greek poet Archestratos mentioned plakous in writings circa 350 BC. Even Cato the Elder noted a recipe for cheesecake in his De Agri Cultura in 160 BC.
Anyways, the Romans soon conquered Greece, took the cheesecake back to Rome around the 1st century BC, modified it to crush the cheese, and called it “libuma”. After that, as Rome conquered the world, the cheesecake traveled the globe and took on many forms, all of which we love.
By any standards, the 2020 version of the cheesecake is the best. And this instant pot marbled cheesecake is worth the effort it takes to make it!
Don’t have an oven to make a delicious red velvet cheesecake? Instant pot to the rescue! This instant pot red velvet cheesecake is easy to make in 75 minutes and tastes absolutely delish! It reminds me of my Instant Pot Banana Split Cheesecake.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE RED VELVET SWIRL CHEESECAKE
You don’t need too many ingredients to whip up this rich and creamy instant pot marbled cheesecake. Just these few items and some refrigerator time and you’re on your way to the perfect creamy holiday dessert.
- Cream Cheese
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Cream
- Sugar
- Red Velvet Cake Mix
- Red Food Coloring
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
HOW TO MAKE THIS INSTANT POT MARBLED CHEESECAKE
Santa will be pleased if you leave this cheesecake out for him. Red and white, it’s the perfect colors to celebrate Christmas! Now let’s get to making the tastiest instant pot marbled cheesecake.
STEP ONE: MIX THE CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER
Mix the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, heavy cream, and sugar together using the blender.
Then divide the mixture into two different bowls.
STEP TWO: ADD THE RED VELVET CAKE MIX
Add the red velvet cake mix to one of the bowls and mix well. Also add a few drops of red food color till you’re satisfied with the brightness of the red.
STEP THREE: FILL THE SPRING PANS WITH THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
Line the bottom of two spring pans with parchment paper. Spray them lightly with cooking oil so that the paper doesn’t stick. Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and melted butter; and layer this mixture in both the pans. Flatten the mixture with your fingers or a large spoon.
STEP FOUR: FILL THE PANS
For the first pan, pour the white cheesecake mixture on top of the graham cracker base filling the pan to its halfway point. Then take 1/4 cup of red mixture and pour it into the center of the white cheesecake mixture. Follow this by 1/4 cup of white mixture in the center of the red. Keep doing this till the pan is almost filled.
For the second pan, start with the red mixture first and follow the same method till you reach the top.
STEP FIVE: CREATE THE SWIRLS
Using a toothpick, chopstick, or knife, start at the center of the cheesecake and move outward towards the edges to create straight lines. Next, create clockwise circles in the pan that will create the swirl effect.
STEP SIX: COOK & REFRIGERATE THE INSTANT POT MARBLED CHEESECAKE
Fill the instant pot with 1.5 cups of water and place a trivet in the middle. Place the cake pan on the trivet, and close and seal the instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. After the cook time is complete, allow the instant pot to release naturally for 5 minutes before venting.
Carefully remove the pan from the pot and cool in the fridge for 5 hours or overnight. Serve when ready!
OPTIONAL SERVING SUGGESTIONS AND TIPS
- For the perfect texture, beat the cream cheese mixture till it’s fluffy!
- If the cheesecake wobbles too much when you take it out of the instant pot, put it back in for another 5 minutes on high pressure!
- Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before serving!
- If you have time, it’s better to make the cheesecake the day before to ensure it sets properly!
- If you don’t get the swirls right the first time, don’t worry. After practicing on a few cheesecakes, you’ll be a pro!
- For a fabulous finish, you can top with whipped cream before serving!
FAQs ABOUT THIS RED VELVET SWIRL CHEESECAKE RECIPE
This really depends on your instant pot size. Use a pan that fits into the post with at least 1-inch room at the sides for you to put it in and pull it out easily.
Cheesecake were traditionally made on top of a water bath that provided steam to the cheesecake. The water added to the instant pot replicated this method and also prevents the cheesecake from cracking.
Yes, you can use Oreo cookies for a muddy crust or saltines for a coarse crust.
Not really. Although it has the word cake in it’s name, a cheesecake is more of a custard pie. Some would also argue that it’s a torte, flan or tart.
Yes, you can put the leftover cheesecake in an airtight container and freeze for a few months. When ready to serve, just thaw in the fridge for a few hours before eating!
You can print off the complete ingredients and instructions for this Instant Pot Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipe via the recipe card below.
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📋 Recipe
Instant Pot Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake
Equipment
- Instant Pot and trivet
- Springform pan
Ingredients
For the cheesecake:
- 4 8- oz cream cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup red velvet cake mix
- optional red food coloring
For the crust: (divide in two)
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Mix together the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, heavy cream, and sugar.
- Divide the cheesecake mixture into two equal portions.
- Add the red velvet cake mix to one of the batter bowls. Add additional red food coloring for a brighter red. Mix well.
- Mix together the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter.
- Line the bottom of a spring pan with parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Add half of the graham cracker mixture to the bottom of your spring pan mold. Push down well to flatten the graham crackers with your fingers, or the back of a spoon.
- Add the white cheesecake mixture to the top of your graham crackers filling the pan to the halfway point. Take 1/4 cup and add the red velvet cheesecake mixture to the middle of the cheesecake. Take 1/4 cup and add the white cheesecake mixture to the middle of the cheesecake. Continue to alternate until the pan is filled. (For the second cheesecake, add the red velvet cheesecake mixture first, then ¼ cup white cheesecake, etc.)
- Taking a toothpick, chopstick, or knife, starting from the center, move outward toward the pan creating straight lines. Then, start from the center and create a clockwise circle creating swirls moving toward the outside of the pan.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Place the trivet on a flat surface. Place the cake pan on the trivet. Carefully, transfer the trivet to the inside of the Instant Pot.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve to sealing.
- Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes. When the cook time ends, allow a natural release for 5 minutes before turning the valve to venting..
- Carefully remove the trivet inside the Pot using the trivet handles with hot pads or a towel. Transfer and cool in the fridge for at least 5 hours, or overnight.
- Remove from the fridge when ready to serve! Enjoy!
Cheesecake!!!
Can this recipe be converted to slow cooker, RED VELVET SWIRL CHEESECAKE??
See if you can find a similar cheesecake recipe made in the slow cooker and then see if you can try using this recipe and cooking it the same way.