Cook the sweet potato: 

1. Add a cup of water to the bottom of your Instant Pot, and set the trivet inside. Slice the sweet potato in half and place, skin side down, on the trivet. Cook for 8 minutes on high pressure. Scoop out the sweet potato and mash when finished cooking.

Make the crust: 

1. In a the bowl of a food processor, blend the pecans, dates, and salt together for about 30 seconds until the pecans and dates are broken up into very small pieces. Add the butter and pulse 2 to 3 times until the butter is incorporated.
   Alternately, if you do not have a food processor, use a blender or knife to finely chop the dates and pecans. Transfer to a bowl and use a fork to mix in the butter. (Your crust may have bigger pieces if you do this method).
2. Transfer the pecan/date mixture to the bottom of a springform pan and use the back of a spatula to gently press out the mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan and out to the sides.
3. Place the springform pan in the freezer until your filling is ready, about 15 minutes.

Make the Filling: 

1. Add the cream cheese and mashed sweet potato to the bowl of a stand mixer. Set a timer for 1 minute and turn the mixer on medium. Mix the cream cheese and sweet potato together, scraping down the sides of the bowl once.
2. Add the maple syrup, spice blend, and vanilla to the bowl. Mix for another minute on medium-low. Turn off the mixer when the timer goes off and scrape the sides of the bowl again. Mix once more for thirty seconds to a minute if your ingredients are not yet well-incorporated.
3. Set the timer for thirty seconds one more time, turn the mixer on low, and add the eggs one at a time. After about thirty seconds, the eggs should be incorporated in the cream cheese mixture. If there are still any streaks of yellow, simply give the filling a stir with your spatula.

Fill & Cook the Cheesecake: 

1. Take the springform pan out of the freezer and pour the cheesecake filling into the pan. Gently tap the cheesecake on the counter to bring up any air bubbles. Pop the bubbles with the tip of a toothpick or small knife.
2. Cover the springform pan with a paper towel, and then a piece of foil. Press the foil down over the sides of the pan to hold the paper towel in place.
3. Pour a cup of water in the bottom of your Instant Pot, place in a trivet, and then set the springform pan on top of the trivet. Cover the Instant Pot, select MANUAL, and set the cooking time for 35 minutes on high pressure.
4. When the cheesecake has cooked for 35 minutes, let the pressure release naturally. Once the pin has dropped and the pressure is released, you can take off the lid and carefully take out the cheesecake. Set the pan on the counter and remove the foil and paper towel. Use the paper towel to gently soak up any moisture on top of the cheesecake.
5. Let the cheesecake rest on the counter or a cooling rack for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake and then release and remove the wall of the springform pan. Leave the cheesecake cool completely on the counter for 1-2 hours before refrigerating.
6. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before slicing.

Top Cheesecake: 

1. Spread the dulce de leche across the top of the cheesecake with a spatula, letting some of it drip down the sides. Evenly distribute the chopped pecans on the dulce de leche.