Making a convincing vegan cheesecake is no mean feat. This vegan tofu & cashew cheesecake manages it with flying colours. What’s even better is that it’s pretty healthy as it contains, hemp and flax seeds which boost omega 3 levels. On top of that it has plenty of protein due to the tofu, ground almonds, peanut butter and other seeds.
I like to make 2 at a time, but make them fairly small. That means that you can eat one and freeze one. Alternatively you can have two different fruit flavours, like blueberry on one and mango on the other.
The base is made first, using whatever vegan biscuits you prefer. If you want to make it gluten free, many biscuits are made with oats and so are usually gluten free. Make sure you grind the flax and hemp seeds first in a mini grinder like a Cuisinart one as they won’t grind properly in a food processor. Cut the dates into fairly small pieces first as well or the same problem will occur. Break the biscuits up first too, then use the pulse setting to break it into fairly fine crumbs.
Adding the margarine, peanut butter and other liquids to a medium saucepan gives you the space to mix the biscuit crumbs easily. I put a greasproof paper circle in each pan which helps protect the cake tins when you cut it up. Divide the mixture between the pans and then smooth it down with the back of a spoon. Make sure it’s an even thickness all over.
Blending the other ingredients in the food processor is easy when you weigh them into the bowl using digital scales. Make sure to give it a really good blend so it’s silky smooth. If you use the ingredients I suggest, you will have half a pack of tofu and half a can of coconut milk left over. This can be frozen and kept for your next batch of cheesecakes.
I suggest making a compote style fruit topping on these tofu & cashew cheesecakes. I’ve found that mango, blueberry, black cherry, summer fruits, strawberries, and blackberries all work well. I’m not so keen on raspberries, as they have a lot of very hard pips in them.
Tofu & Cashew Cheesecake
Phil AndrewsEquipment
- 2 by 7inch (18cm) loose bottom cake tin (silverwood are best)
- Food processor
- saucepan
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 40 gm of Sainsbury’s vegan olive oil marg = 225 kc
- 40 gm coconut oil = 405 kc
- 60 g stoned dates = 180 Kc
- 190 g of Dove’s Farm vegan ginger oat biscuits or ginger nut biscuits Tescos are = 855Kc
- 30 g hemp or desiccated coconut = 198 Kc
- 30 g flax seeds grind separately first or hemp seeds = 162 Kc
- 30 g of ground almond = 183 Kc
- 30 g peanut butter – the good stuff i.e. Essential/Meridian not sunpat crap
Cheesecake Filling
- 200 g whole pack of cashews soaked 4 hours = 1198 Kc or do it for 30 to 45 minutes in boiling water.
- 175 g of silken tofu this is usually half a pack so you can freeze the rest along with the coconut milk = 105Kc
- 200 ml of coconut milk – approx half a can = 360 Kc
- 500 g of plain or vanilla soya yogurt – whole pack. = 230 Kc
- 2 ½ flat tbsps. of custard powder. 3=23gm = 81 Kc
- Juice of 2 lemons 90ml – plus the zest of 2 lemons.
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract – according to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons of orange essence.
- 60 g golden caster sugar or similar. 228 Kc - could reduce to 50g?
Cheesecake Topping
- 250 g of any frozen fruit per cheesecake: summer fruits blueberries, mango, cherries etc
- 30 gms of caster sugar. = 200 kc
- 30 ml of water – you may need to add a little more as you go if too sticky.
- 30 ml of lemon or lime juice
- Zest from one lime or lemon. Bring mixture to boil and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until syrupy. Cool and spread over top of cheesecakes.
Instructions
Making the bases
- grind the hemp, flax or dessicated coconut if using in an electric spice grinder or pestle and mortar first or they will stay whole which doesn't work. If you don't have a grinder, just substitute more biscuits. I add the flax etc to bump up the nutrition/omega 3s, but they're not essential in any way.
- chop the dates up - each date into roughly 8 to 10 smaller pieces or they stick to the food processor blades and don't get chopped properly.
- Add the biscuits, dates, ground seeds etc into a food processor
- pulse blend to turn them into fine crumbs.
- heat coconut oil, margarine and peanut butter in the pan enough to melt together and mix - don't overdo it - you just want to melt it.
- add biscuit, date and seed mixture mixing well
- Line the base with greaseproof paper and grease sides and paper.
- then divide into the two cake tin bases (roughly 230g of mixture per base)
- spread the mixture evenly over the base a fork or spoon with a chopping action works well.
- Pat first, then smooth it flat with the back of a serving or dessert spoon.
- Cook for 10 minutes in fan oven at 180°C (200c in normal oven) – until golden brown –
- allow to cool a little before adding filling.
Making the filling
- Add Tofu and cashews to a food processor and thoroughly blend the cashew with the yogurt until completely smooth – it will take several minutes.
- Add in the rest of the filling ingredients and blend until you have a fairly runny liquid.
- Pour equal amount into the two tins.
- Place carefully in the oven and bake at 165°C on fan oven for 50 mins
- Remove and allow to cool.
- Shortly after removing from oven carefully break the seal from around the edge with a knife – this helps prevent splits opening up in the centre of the cheesecake - allow to cool before adding the toppings. The custard powder is important to stop the spliting too.
Making the fruit compote topping
- Add topping ingredients to a small pan.
- Bring the mixture to a slow boil and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until syrupy.
- spoon the slighly cooled mixture onto one of the cheesecakes
- Spread evenly over top of cheesecake - works best with a fork I find.
- The quantities of topping are enough for one cheesecake, so double if you want to do them both with the same fruit topping.
One Response
It was a delicious cheesecake. Nice and light.