Before you judge me about using the word “cheezcake”, it’s purely to get across a point about it not actually being cheese or animal based at all. This vegan cake, to me, is more like an ice-cream (or should that be ice-CREEM) cake.
This is my first attempt at making my own cheezcake, with my guess at what quantities are required.
WARNING: before you think that you’re going to make, then eat this bad boy today, unfortunately you will need to soak the cashews overnight so get cracking now!
For the base
1 cup almond meal (I used Naked Foods)
2 tablespoons rice malt syrup (I used Pureharvest) or for strict PALEO replace with an alternate sweetener but it will no longer be low fructose
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons cacao (I used Naked Foods)
For the filling
4 cups organic raw cashews (I used Naked Foods)
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup + 2 tbspns plant based milk (I used Pureharvest almond milk)
1/3 cup cacao
1/4 cup raspberries
METHOD
1. Soak the cashews in water overnight in 2 seperate containers, each with 2 cups of cashews. This is because we are doing 2 separate layers
I highly recommended not soaking much longer than 12 hours. Mine started to get little purple ‘veins’ on them (I soaked for 24 hours) which I have since researched & seems to be quite common (see below pic)
2. Line a round tin with baking paper
3. Make the base first – blend all ingredients in a food processor until it looks like (a very delicious version of) dirt – in little clumps.
4. Press the base into the tin lined with baking paper. I used my fingers to get it right to the edges & then used a fork.
5. Throw this in the freezer
6. While the base is freezing, throw one lot (2 cups) cashews DRAINED cashews in the blender with 1/4 cup rice malt syrup, 2 tbspns coconut oil, vanilla & 2 tbspns almond milk. Blend until smooth.
7. Remove the base from the freezer & sprinkle over the raspberries
8. Pour over the vanilla cashew mix, spread as evenly as possible, then place back in the freezer
9. Do not clean the blender – tip 2 cups cashews (drained) into the blender, followed by 1/3 cup cacao, 1/4 cup rice malt syrup, 2 tbspns coconut oil, 1/4 cup almond milk. Blend until smooth. I’m warning you now, I was a cashew butter cynic before, but this stuff is addictive. Don’t lick the spoon til the end or none will make it into the cake tin.
10. Once blended well tip the cashew chocolate back into the measuring cup. Once the vanilla layer is frozen (1-2 hours), pour the chocolate layer over, then put back in the freezer for 2-4 hours.
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