The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

12th November 2018

My business has grown out of a genuine happiness at being in the kitchen says Bee Berrie. Whilst building a business itself isn’t always fun, creating, baking and selling cakes and cookies most definitely is. Here's a Vegan Layer Cheesecake recipe that's just a little bit special!

The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

12th November 2018

The Green Parent

By The Green Parent

12th November 2018

At my old job, I daydreamed about baking beautiful wedding cakes for couples at venues all over London, and I’m thrilled that now I get to bake for amazing clients. I really believe in the calming power of smashing a delicious recipe out in the kitchen. Working up a sweat works wonders in clearing my tiny mind of the admin junk that accumulates whilst running my own business, and I expect it could calm your mind too. The kitchen is definitely my “happy place”, and I hope that the recipes and ideas here help you tap into your own version of what I call “bake love”.

layered vegan cheesecake

I first came across the idea of a nut-based “cheesecake” when watching vegan videos made by Laura Miller, my most favourite YouTube presenter. To be honest, the idea had never occurred to me before, and I was really intrigued by it. Cashew nuts form the base of this recipe, but there are lots of other amazing, interesting ingredients that help to build this beautiful cake. The colours come from fruit powders, so no E-numbers here! It’s not the cheapest recipe on the planet, so I cut it into pieces and freeze it, and it lasts ages. Don’t forget to pre-soak the nuts, as this activates them and makes them easier to blend.

MAKES ONE 3-LAYER, 15-CM ROUND CHEESECAKE

For the base

  • 60 g pumpkin seeds
  • 60 g sunflower seeds
  • 60 g buckwheat groats or puffed quinoa or pine nuts
  • 20 g cacao nibs or 2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 120 g soft pitted dates (e.g. medjool), chopped
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tsp vanilla-bean extract
  • 1–3 tbsp water (if needed)

Cheesecake layers

  • 300 g cashew nuts, soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours, or overnight
  • 100 g almonds or hazelnuts, soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours, or overnight
  • 130 ml almond milk
  • 80 g raw honey or maple syrup
  • 100 g coconut oil, melted
  • 6 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 tsp blueberry powder
  • 3 tsp raspberry fruit powder

To serve

  • Fresh raspberries, blueberries and edible flowers

FOR THE BASE

  1. Line a 15-cm round cake tin with strong cling film.
  2. Pulse all of the base ingredients together in a food processor a few times to get started, then continue to blend for about a minute, until the mix starts sticking together.
  3. Tip the mixture into the cake tin and press down with the back of a spoon or your hands, until it’s nice and smooth and even. Freeze until ready to use.

FOR THE CHEESECAKE LAYERS

  1. Drain and rinse the cashews and almonds, then blend only these two together in the food mixer until completely smooth – pulse on high and low alternately to ensure all the big pieces are broken down.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients, except the fruit powders, and blend until smooth.
  3. Now divide the mix into 3 bowls, and add the fruit powders (I made one mixture with blueberry powder, one mixture with raspberry powder and left the third plain), and mix until you have a beautiful bright, fruity colour.
  4. Remove the base layer from the freezer and pour one of your coloured mixtures on top first, ensuring it’s even. Return to the freezer for 2 hours, then pour on the next coloured layer and repeat. If you prefer, you could do thinner layers of each for a stripy effect.
  5. Decorate with fresh fruit and edible flowers, and serve.
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