So, we had lunch and dessert at the Chicago Diner recently, and he got a piece of their raw vegan cheesecake and really liked it. Now, for obvious reasons (my raw fruit allergies) I'm not really into raw cooking. But this delicious cake was managed just fine. The recipe comes from the Post Punk Kitchen blog, and I modified it only by using pasteurized lemon juice, not raw lemon or lime juice.
This is officially one of my new favorite recipes.
Ingredients:
Crust
1 cup pecans
1 cup almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
Filling
3 cups raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight (or at least 3 hours)
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
32 oz strawberries (reserve 9 for decorating), hulled and halved – about 4 cups
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
Lightly grease a 9 inch spring form pan with coconut oil and set aside.
To prepare the crust, pulse nuts and salt in a food processor fit with a metal blade. When nuts are fine crumbs, add the dates and pulse until the dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers. Firmly press crust into the bottom of prepared cake pan. Set aside.
To prepare the filling, pulse cashews in food processor until crumbly. Add agave, water, lemon juice and vanilla and puree until very smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything. Feed the strawberries through the top of the food processor and puree until incorporated. The filling should turn a pretty pink. With the processor running, add the melted coconut oil in a steady stream.
Pour the filling into the cake pan. It will look like a smoothie and you’ll think no way it will set, but it will! Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set. Make sure it’s level so that your cake doesn’t come out wonky. Let set for at least 4 hours.
OK, so she has you also make "Raw Fluffy White Frosting Recipe"
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (alcohol free is preferred for raw desserts)
1/4 cup raw coconut oil, melted
Prepare the frosting in basically the same way as the cake. Pulse the cashews in the food processor until crumbly. Add the water, agave and vanilla and blend until smooth. With the food processor running, stream the coconut oil in through the top until combined. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until set, about 2 hours.
but mine did not set. You can see it there on top of the cake, as the white layer. It made a fine layer, but it did not turn out like hers. I simply sliced and layered the strawberries on top of the cake instead. Still amazingly delicious.
