Orange Cheesecake
This Orange Cream Cheesecake recipe is rich, smooth, and creamy. Served alone, this cheesecake has a delicate orange flavor that reminds me of a Creamsicle.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: We developed this recipe based on our tried-and-true perfect cheesecake recipe, then added orange zest and just a bit of orange juice to really brighten it up. Pair it with our cranberry topping for the ultimate holiday dessert.
We’ve been making cheesecakes in our Instant Pot for…well…as long as we’ve had an Instant Pot. It has become our favorite way to make cheesecakes because once you know the timing for your altitude, you get the consistent results.
Cheesecakes cook up best when cooked in a moist environment, making your pressure cooker the perfect way to make this classic treat.
Are you looking for other amazing holiday desserts? Try our Peppermint Cheesecake, which has chocolate peppermint bark and a mousse filling, or our Red Velvet Cheesecake, which is packed with rich chocolate flavor and a lovely red swirl. Or, keep things easier and make homemade Sous Vide Hot Chocolate, for a treat that’s ready when you need it.
Ingredients you need to make Orange Cream Cheesecake
Here’s what you’ll need to make a Creamsicle-inspired orange cheesecake:
- Nonstick cooking spray: This one is a MUST for making sure your cheesecake releases cleanly from the nonstick pan.
- Sugar: We just use regular granulated sugar in this recipe.
- Orange zest and juice: Just buy one orange—that will be just the right amount of zest and more than enough juice.
- Graham cracker crumbs: You can buy these premade or you can smash some yourself with a food processor or a ziplock and mallet. Just make sure they’re smashed fine.
- Butter: Be careful to melt this on low power so it doesn’t pop or separate.
- Brown sugar: We use just a small amount of brown sugar in this recipe to sweeten the crust, and I might never use regular sugar in my crusts again.
- Cream cheese: You’ll get best results with full fat original cream cheese for the best results.
- Sour cream: Again, avoid the light sour cream.
- Flour: Just a little bit of flour helps provide structure to your cheesecake.
- Vanilla: You can substitute this with an Orange Emulsion if you want even more orange flavor. (I would start with 1/2 teaspoon and work up from there.)
- Eggs: We use large eggs in this recipe.
- Cranberry curd: Our Cranberry Curd recipe was developed specifically with this cheesecake in mind. (It is absolutely fantastic, and worth the effort, in our opinion, but it is an optional ingredient.) Dollop a large amount on top or serve off to the side so you can make the perfect ratio with every bite.
- Toppings: In addition to the curd, if you want to really make a splash with your presentation, this cheesecake looks lovely paired with sugared cranberries, orange curls, thinly sliced orange twists, or delicately arranged rosemary sprigs.
As with all cheesecakes, the key for good results is using room temperature ingredients! Make sure to set your eggs, cream cheese, and sour cream on the counter 45 minutes to an hour before you want to get started mixing.
(If you forget, we have some tips and tricks you can use in our How to Make Perfect Pressure Cooker Cheesecake post.)
How to Cook Orange Cheesecake in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
Press the Zest into the Sugar
Stir the sugar into the orange zest until it’s well mixed, then use the back of a spoon to press the zest into the sugar for about 30 seconds. Then let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
(You can also do this in your stand mixer—just put on the paddle attachment, then let the mixer run on low speed while you’re making the crust. Just make sure to check on it to ensure the zest hasn’t clumped together.)
This step will really make a difference in the orange flavor of your finished cheesecake, so I don’t recommend skipping it.
Prepare the Crust
I like to coat the nonstick pan before I start cooking; this helps ensure I don’t forget once the crust is made.
Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter until it’s almost a sandy texture. Carefully pour this in the bottom of the springform pan, then use a tart tamper or the bottom of a heavy glass to press it firmly into an even layer. Then pop the pan in the freezer while you make the cheesecake batter.
Don’t Overmix the Cheesecake Batter
We like to use a hand mixer for the cheesecake batter. In our opinion, it’s more gentle and our cheesecakes don’t rise and fall as much when we use a hand mixer. However, if you want to use your stand mixer—go for it!
Add the room temperature cream cheese to the zest-sugar mixture and beat at medium-low speed until smooth. Scrape the bowl well. Mix in sour cream, flour, vanilla and orange juice until just combined and scrape down the bowl really well. Then, add the eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Your batter should be mostly smooth, but it’s OK if a few lumps remain.
Pour the Batter on the Crust and Pressure Cook
Get the springform pan out of the freezer. Gently pour the batter on top of the crust. To remove any air bubbles, you can tap the springform gently on the counter or you can wait a few minutes and pop any bubbles that rise to the surface with a toothpick.
Pour 1 cup of water into the cooking pot and put a low trivet in the pot. Center the filled pan on a sling and lower the cheesecake into the cooking pot. (Make sure the sling doesn’t get in the way of closing the lid.)
Lock the lid, select High Pressure and 25 minutes cook time. Once the cook time is up, use a 10 minute natural release then vent any remaining pressure.
Chill the Finished Cheesecake
Check that the center is set. (If you don’t mind making a hole in your cheesecake, use an instant read thermometer to see if it’s above 145°F.)
Remove from the cooking pot, then place the springform pan on a cooling rack. Use a paper towel to absorb any water that may have accumulated from the steam.
After about 10 minutes, the sides of the cheesecake will start to pull away from the edge of the springform pan. Once this happens, take a thin offset spatula and run it around the edges of the pan the cheesecake won’t stick to an edge and crack as it cools.
Once your cheesecake is cooled to room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap really well and refrigerate overnight.
Serving Your Cheesecake
If you serve the cheesecake solo, it has a really delicate orange-cream flavor. It’s delicious and beautiful on its own, garnished with a few orange slices or candied orange.
It is also delicious dripping in cranberry curd. This was our favorite way to enjoy it!
If you are a chocolate lover, you can also slice, freeze, and dipped in dark melting chocolate for a chocolate orange effect.
If I’m bringing it to a party and want an impressive display, I’ll take the time to make the sugared cranberries or candied oranges. But if I’m just serving it to family, I like to keep the orange cheesecake plain and eat half of it on its own to appreciate the orange cheesecake itself and half with the cranberry curd to enjoy the perfect cranberry-orange combination.
Helpful Products for Making Orange Cheesecake in an Instant Pot
For this recipe, we recommend the following products:
- Springform pan: We like the Nordicware 7-inch springform pan. We’ve had ours for over a decade and it still works great.
- Tart tamper: This inexpensive tart tamper tool makes quick work of making crusts for cheesecakes (and other desserts. But mostly cheesecakes at our house.)
- Hand mixer: As we mentioned earlier, we prefer to use our hand mixer for cheesecakes. We use one from Kitchen Aid.
- Zester: We really love our Microplane and use it for zesting citrus as well as grating hard cheeses like Parmesan.
Frequently Asked Questions about Orange Cheesecake
We absolutely recommend it! We prefer to make cheesecake the day before we want to serve it.
The zest is the colorful part of the citrus—it’s what makes an orange orange, and it’s where the citrus oils (and tons of flavor) are stored. We like to use a zester to remove the zest quickly and easily.
If you don’t have a zester, you can use the smallest setting on your cheese grater. Or, a tip I got from Martha Stewart is to use a vegetable peeler and then use a sharp knife to cut off as much of the white pith as you can. Then dice it into teeny-tiny pieces.
The zest is what gives the cheesecake most of the orange flavor, so your cheesecake will be more like a classic cheesecake. If you’re going to skip it, I recommend using the crust from this post, then following directions for our Instant Pot New York Cheesecake recipe.
Cheesecake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days from the day it is made. It also freezes well, and slices can be kept frozen for 2 to 4 months
More amazing Instant Pot Cheesecake recipes
I know we have so many pressure cooker cheesecake recipes on the site, but I just can’t stop making them. If you’re a cheesecake lover like me, here are some other cheesecake recipes you should try:
- Red White and Blue Cheesecake: This easy fruit topping makes this cheesecake too tasty to only make in the summertime.
- Layered Strawberry Cheesecake: This cheesecake is gorgeous with pink and white layers and a homemade strawberry topping.
- Meyer Lemon Cheesecake: Meyer lemons come in season in November or December, and this gentler lemon-flavored cheesecake is a MUST-MAKE every year.
- Tropical Mini Cheesecakes: Coconut cream and pineapple flavors will whisk your tastebuds away from winter.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
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Orange Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
- Nonstick spray
- 1/2 cup sugar
- Zest from 1 large orange
- 1 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 2 eggs room temperature
- Top with a dollop of cranberry curd sugared cranberries, orange curls, or thinly sliced orange pieces
Instructions
- Prepare a 7-inch springform pan by coating the bottom and sides with nonstick spray, then use a paper towel to ensure the spray is distributed easily.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and orange zest until well combined. Use the back of a spoon to press the orange zest into the sugar for about 30 seconds, then allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes.
- While the sugar mixture sits, in a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and butter. Spread evenly in the bottom and, if desired, up the side of the pan less than 1 inch. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar mixture at medium-low speed until smooth. Mix in sour cream, flour, vanilla and orange juice. Add the eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Don’t over mix!
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust in the springform pan. Tap the filled pan gently on the counter several times to bring air bubbles to the surface and pop with a fork or a toothpick.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the pressure cooking pot, and place a trivet in the bottom. Center the filled pan on a sling and carefully lower it into the cooking pot. Fold the sling down so that it doesn’t interfere with closing the lid.
- Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 25 minutes cook time. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Remove the cheesecake and check that the center is set. (If the cheesecake isn’t quite done, return the lid and cook at High Pressure for an additional 5 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural release.)
- Cool on a trivet for 10 minutes. While cooling, use the corner of a paper towel to soak up any water on top of the cheesecake. Once the sides of the cheesecake start to pull away from the springform pan, run a thin offset spatula around the edges of the cheesecake to ensure no parts of the cheesecake have stuck.
- When cheesecake is cooled to room temperature, refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Serve each slice plain, topped with cranberry curd, or with your other favorite cheesecake toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
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Question: when the cheesecake has cooked after baking, do you remove it from the pan before covering it and putting it in the refrigerator? Do you place it on a plate and cover it with wrap? I’m new to this.
I made both recipes for our family Christmas gathering. Both are absolutely delicious! The cheesecake was creamy and wonderful, in the orange flavoring was present without being overbearing. Some family members were a little afraid to try the cranberry curd, but I thought it was wonderful.
Thanks Jerilyn! That’s so fun that you made and enjoyed them both.
Absolutely delicious glad I didn’t skip the zest
Thanks Linda – so fun to hear you loved it. The zest adds so much flavor right!