Step 1

Preheat your oven to 300°F. Grease well a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a 9-inch round of parchment paper.

Step 2

Pour 2 cups of hot water into a roasting pan or oven-safe casserole dish and place it on the bottom rack of the oven as it heats.

Step 3

In a medium-size bowl, place the cookie crumbs and melted butter and mix until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Set the pan aside.

Step 4

In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla, and beat on high speed until very light and fluffy.

Step 5

Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once, and continue to beat. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time and mix just until smooth.

Step 6

Scrape the filling out of the bowl and on top of the crust in the prepared pan. Spread into an even layer and smack the bottom of the pan flat on the counter a few times to break up any large air bubbles.

Step 7

Place the pan on the top rack of the preheated oven, and bake for 50 minutes, or until most of the cake is set, but the 2 inches in the center are still somewhat loose when shaken from side to side. If necessary, close the oven door and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 8

Once the cake is baked, turn off the oven and crack the oven door a bit, leaving the cake inside. Allow the cake to sit for about 30 minutes or until the oven temperature has reached about 200°F.

Step 9

Remove the cake from the oven and allow to reach room temperature. Cover and chill the cake, still in the pan, until ready to serve.

Step 10

Unmold the chilled cake and loosen the bottom from the pan. Transfer the cake carefully to a serving platter, slice with a hot, wet knife, cleaned between each cut, and serve chilled.

Step 11

Grease and line an Instant Pot-sized springform pan, and prepare this same recipe as for the oven, but reduce all the ingredients by 1/3 to accommodate the smaller pan.

Step 12

Place about 1-inch of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot pan and cover the top of the springform pan with foil to prevent condensed water in the pan from dripping on the top of the cake. Place the prepared pan in the silicone baking sling and lower it into the pan on top of the water.

Step 13

Cover the Instant Pot and set the vent to sealing. Push the "manual" button and increase the time to 32 minutes. When the pot beeps to indicate the cooking time is up, turn the pot off and allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes.

Step 14

Release any remaining pressure from the pot manually, open the lid and remove the pan from the pot using the sling. Remove the pan from the sling and place it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Chill and serve as usual.