Peppermint Crisp has been turning up on tarts, trifles and fridge desserts since the 1960s, and this cheesecake brings all those familiar flavours together with one big change: it’s steamed instead of baked. The gentle, moist heat keeps the filling from puffing up and splitting, so the top stays smooth and far less likely to crack, which is the usual cheesecake headache. It also leaves your oven free for something else. Once the cheesecake has cooled and set in the fridge, it gets a topping of caramel treat beaten with crème fraîche and a pinch of salt. Recipe compliments of Instant Pot.

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour, plus several hours to set in the fridge | Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

For the base:

• 200 g tennis biscuits
• 70 g butter, melted

For the filling:

• 250 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 250 g ricotta, at room temperature
• 90 g fine demerara sugar or castor sugar
• 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
• 20 ml cornflour
• 15 ml lemon juice
• 5 ml vanilla extract
• 2.5 ml salt
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

For the topping:

• 1 tin caramel treat
• 125 ml crème fraîche
• 10 ml lemon juice
• Good pinch of salt
• 1 large slab Peppermint Crisp, crushed into small pieces

Method

1. Grease an 18 cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line it with baking paper. Wrap the outside of the tin in foil so it is watertight.
2. Blitz the biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined.
3. Tip the crumbs into the tin and press them firmly over the base, using the bottom of a glass to level it. Place the tin in the freezer while you make the filling.
4. Put all the filling ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. Pour the filling over the biscuit base.
5. Pour 250 ml water into the inner pot of the Instant Pot and place the trivet inside. Lower the cake tin carefully onto the trivet.
6. Close the lid and select Pressure Cook on high for 35 minutes.
7. When the time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then turn the steam release handle to release any remaining steam.
8. The cheesecake should have a slight wobble in the middle. Lift it out and set it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for several hours until set.
9. Beat the caramel treat, crème fraîche, lemon juice and salt together in a bowl until smooth and thick.
10. Spoon the caramel mixture over the cheesecake and spread it gently to cover the top.
11. Sprinkle with the crushed Peppermint Crisp and serve with any leftover caramel mixture on the side.

Variations and tips

• Leave the cheesecake in the fridge overnight if you can. It slices more cleanly and the flavour improves.
• Cream cheese and ricotta should both be at room temperature, otherwise the filling can be lumpy.
• Don’t overcook it. A slight wobble in the middle is right, because it firms up as it cools.
• Dip a knife in hot water and wipe it dry between slices for neat edges.
• Crush the Peppermint Crisp in a freezer bag with a rolling pin, and add it just before serving so it stays crunchy.
• Marie biscuits or digestives can replace the tennis biscuits.
• For a no-fuss version of the topping, use whipped cream instead of crème fraîche.