Cheesecakes are a classic with many variations that are very easy to prepare. Our fruity cherry edition is conjured up with a delicious cream based on cashews and coconut cream. Add some vegan cream, chocolate and a few fresh cherries on top and you have a real eye candy. Very practical: you don’t even need an oven. Although this White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake is very simple, please read the recipe carefully – a few things need to be prepared the day before.
Ingredients
For a loose-based cake tin with Ø 20 cm (8 – 10 pieces)
For the base
- 200 g plain digestive biscuits
- 80 g dairy-free butter
For the cherry compote
- 200 g frozen cherries
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp water
For the cheesecake filling
- 140 g iChoc White Vanilla Chocolate
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 200 g cashew nuts
- 60 g dairy-free cream cheese
- 200 g coconut cream (1 can full-fat coconut milk)
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
Decorations
- fresh cherries
- iChoc White Vanilla Chocolate
- vegan whipping cream
How to make it
Preparations the day before:
Soak the cashew nuts in water overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.
Chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight.
1. For the base, line the cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Add the dairy-free butter into a small saucepan, place on the hob over low / medium heat and melt.
3. Place the biscuits into a food processor, blend until fine. Then pour in the melted dairy-free butter and blend until like wet sand.
4. Pour into the lined tin and pack in very tightly. The tighter the mixture is packed, the less likely it is it will crumble when you cut the cheesecake. Place into the fridge whilst you make the compote.
5. For the cherry compote, place the frozen cherries into a medium-sized saucepan and sprinkle over the sugar. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water into a paste and add it into the pan with the cherries.
6. Place onto the hob over a medium to high heat and bring to boil. This will take around 5 – 8 minutes. Keep stirring with a heat proof spatula or wooden spoon to prevent the mixture from sticking and burning. It will start to turn thick.
7. Once thick, remove from the heat and allow to cool before using. As it cools, it will thicken up even more and turn into a jellified sauce. Store in a sealed container in the fridge before use.
8. For the cheesecake filling, melt the white chocolate and coconut oil in a bain-marie. Allow the chocolate and coconut oil to melt together, stir to help them combine, until you have a smooth mixture. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
9. Drain the cashew nuts from the water and place them into a food processor / blender along with the melted white chocolate and coconut oil mixture, cream cheese, and vanilla extract.
10. Take the coconut milk out of the fridge and scoop off the solidified coconut cream with a spoon. Add 200 g of it to the other ingredients. Whizz up on high for around 5 minutes until smooth. Add a spoonful at a time of more coconut cream if needed. You might need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides a few times.
11. Spread a thin layer of the filling over the base, then spoon on some of the cherry compote. Repeat this until you have used up all of the filling. Leave some compote for the topping. Level the top of the cheesecake with a spoon and pop into the freezer to set fully. This will take around 4 – 6 hours or overnight.
12. Defrost the cheesecake fully before serving. Decorate as desired with whipped vegan cream, white chocolate pieces and fresh cherries.
Our gratitude goes out to fabulous Holly Jade (The little blog of vegan) for this creamy, fruity cheesecake wonder!