This is an amazing "New York Style" cheesecake. It's a perfect flavour combination; Blueberries and passionfruit
Ever since I started being vegan flexitarian or in another word, plant-based, there was only one thing that could dampen my mood due to sheer food envy. Sitting across from someone who is eating a slice of New York cheese cake. I tried so hard to find a replacement that would satisfy me and my nutritional needs and after almost two years of research and failed attempts I made this double layer cashew cream cheesecake.
I made this cheesecake specially to a good friend of mine who was celebrating her birthday. Knowing how much she loves cheesecakes, I thought I'd give her this amazing tasteful vegan cheesecake and prove that desserts, or more specifically, birthday cakes, don't need to be packed with starchy flours, sugar, gluten, dairy and other unhealthy stuff. Not for my surprise, everyone in her birthday party loved it and were amazed to know all about the goodness inside this treat.
STATS
COURSE: DESSERT CUISINE: VEGAN
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES
SERVINGS: 8 SERVINGS
CALORIES: 448KCAL
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE BASE:
150 g almonds or any other nuts that you like
125 g chopped dates or about 6 medjool dates
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 pinch of salt
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE:
BLUEBERRIES LAYER
200 g cups cashews
80 ml coconut oil
200gr Blueberries
1tsp blue spirulina
*50 ml coconut milk, full fatfull fat
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
65 ml agave syrup
Ps: you can add more coconut milk if you notice it is too dry. It's important to achieve a creamy consistency
PASSION FRUIT LAYER
200 g cups cashews
80 ml coconut oil
3 large passion fruit
1tsp curcuma
1 thumb of fresh ginger
*50 ml coconut milk, full fatfull fat
3 tbsp lemon juice
65 ml agave syrup
Ps: Add more or less coconut milk to achieve a creamy consistency. It depends how large the passion fruit are. It varies a lot how much juice you get from this delicious fruit.
INSTRUCTIONS
Making the base: Put the ingredients for the base into the food processor and pulse until it resembles a crumbly texture. Be careful not to over process or you will end up with almond butter which in itself is extremely tasty but not what you want to make in this case. The reason for using coconut oil is that it solidifies at temperatures below 25°C (75°F) and this small amount of oil is already enough to hold the crust together.
Now chose what you want to make your beautiful cashew cream cheesecake in. This can range from one big cake for which you want to choose a suitable form. Another option would be to use a muffin tin or you can use food rings as I prefer it.
Food rings are by far the easiest choice and they come in various sizes. Place a piece of baking paper into a form big enough to hold all food rings you want to use and place the rings on top of it. Press the crust mixture into the rings. Put the tray aside an continue with the cream.
Making the cream cheese: You need to soak the cashews in cold water for about 4-6 hours to soften them. If you are in a hurry same rule applies for all dried produce. You can reduce the soaking time by using hot water. Place the cashews in a bowl, pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 15 minutes. Do not cook them. Once the cashews are softened, pour away the excess water. This step is necessary if you want a silky smooth cashew cream because the soaking softens the cashews immensely.
Now pour all the "cream cheese" ingredients of the "passion fruit layer" into the food processor and blend at maximum speed until it is as creamy as you want it to be. It is as simple as that. Now spread it on top of the crust and off it goes into the freezer for 15min before you place the second layer.
Now clean the food processor and follow the previous step for the "blueberry layer" and pour it on top on the other layer. It is ready to go into the freezer again.
Depending on the temperature setting it will take 2-5 hours to set. The cakes keep nicely in the freezer for about a month. Once taken out they keep well in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. I wouldn't recommend keeping them outside at room temperature for longer than two days.
Once they are set you can simply push them trough the ring and either put them in a freezer bag and store for later use or put on the counter top to thaw for 30-60 minutes and serve them freshly made.