If there was anything that I’ve dreamed of making, it’s the perfect cake.
I’ve always been fascinated by the art concealed within the glass display walls of bakeries and upscale cafes. It was an unattainable dream for a humble self-taught food maker.
There have been more misses than hits. Things coming out of my oven which either tasted like sweet stuff with no recognizable taste and either with the texture of semi-raw dough or something that could probably be used to kill a small animal. (Yes, I just went there!)
I’ve only tried frozen cakes twice, and with this second project, I think I have finally struck gold.
Featuring Raw Cacao Butter by Big Tree Farms, this cake is rich and creamy, tangy with fruit and comes together harmoniously in your mouth with a solid nutty crust.
I brought my first attempt at this cake to a vegan potluck and it was a hit!
I’m so grateful to finally be able to present the world with a cake that I’m proud of. Maybe one day, it could find itself behind a glass display wall too! Another dream altogether!
It needs a fair bit of preparation but the results are worth the effort, and will certainly stir up conversation when your loved ones find out that this rich, chocolately ‘cheesecake’ has no milk nor cheese at all!
Not included in the preparation time: soaking your cashewnuts for at least 4 hours, or better still, overnight. The longer you soak, the smoother consistency your cheesecake base will have.
This recipe was developed in collaboration with Diet Angel.
White Chocolate Passionfruit Cheesecake
An elaborate, beautiful project of a cake that would be the star of a loved one's birthday party or any other celebration.
Ingredients
- CHEESECAKE LAYER:
- 2 cups cashews soaked overnight in 3 cups purified water
- 6 cubes Big Tree Farms Raw Cacao butter
- 1/4 cup nondairy milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 4-5 tbsp natural sweetener (Coconut Nectar or Agave Syrup)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- CRUST:
- 1 cup of mixed nuts (Suggestions: almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds etc.)
- 10 Mazafati dates with the seeds removed
- 1 tbsp Big Tree Farms Raw Cacao Powder
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- PASSIONFRUIT LAYER:
- 2 tsp agar powder
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 3/4 cup fresh passionfruit pulp
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
Directions
- Step 1 Melt the cacao cubes through double boiling for 3-5 minutes. This means gently simmering the cubes with steam. My set-up is a stainless steel plate that fits perfectly over a stainless steel pot. You could also replace the plate with one made of heat-resistant glass. There are many online references on how to make a simple double boiling setup. Set melted butter aside.
- Step 2 Put all crust ingredients into a food processor and blend until the mixture becomes a sticky, chunky dough.
- Step 3 In a 7 inch springform pan, flatten the crust evenly against the bottom with your hands.
- Step 4 Put all cheesecake layer ingredients into food processor and blend until a rich, smooth paste is achieved.
- Step 5 Pour the paste into the pan over the crust and even out the surface with a spatula. Place pan in the freezer while you do the next step, to allow cheesecake layer to slightly harden.
- Step 6 Referring to the passionfruit layer ingredients, place water into a pot and set to boil.Just as it starts to bubble, put in the agar and brown sugar and stir contantly for 3-5 minutes until the agar has fully dissolved. Turn off the heat, pour in the passionfruit pulp and stir in evenly.
- Step 7 Remove cake from the freezer and pour passionfruit agar mix on top of the cheesecake layer. Put the cake in the fridge and wait to set for 2-3 hours.
