LILAC DREAM CHEESECAKE

• PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES
• YIELD: 5″ CAKE
• CATEGORY: CAKE
• METHOD: RAW
• CUISINE: DESSERT

This lilac dessert is a delicate raw vegan cheesecake with beautiful floral accents and gorgeous purple maqui berry swirls. The recipe is also gluten-free and grain-free and refined sugar-free.

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 1 soft Medjool date, pitted
• ½ tbsp maple syrup (or a raw sweetener of your choice)
• ½ tbsp coconut oil (I used an unscented kind, so no coconut taste)

Filling:

• ¾ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
• 5 tbsp lilac water** or plant milk
• 4 tbsp maple syrup (or a raw sweetener of your choice)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (I used an unscented kind, so no coconut taste)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh lilac flowers
• ½ tbsp maqui berry powder

Toppings:

• fresh lilac flowers, a few wild strawberry blossoms

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Process all crust ingredients in a food processor into a sticky crumble. Transfer into a 5″ springform pan and press down into an even crust, lightly raising it around the edges just a bit. Place in the freezer while working on the next step.
2. Blend all filling ingredients except for lilac flowers and maqui in a power blender into a smooth cheesecake consistency. Add the lilac flowers and blend them in. Remove and set aside about ⅔ of this mixture. Add the maqui powder to the ⅓ of the mixture remaining in the blender and blend until smooth. Spoon the mixtures into the springform pan over the crust, alternating between the purple and white mixture until you run out. Lightly swirl the two mixtures together with a spoon or a skewer.
3. Freeze the cake for 4-5 hours or overnight to set. Decorate with fresh lilac flowers prior to serving and enjoy! Can thaw out for 15 mins or so for a softer texture or enjoy straight out of the freezer.

NOTES

*To pre-soak cashews: place in a glass bowl, cover with water, and leave to soak for 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge). Then strain and discard the water. For a quick pre-soak, cover with boiled water and soak for 15 mins, then strain and discard water. (Note: this technique doesn’t preserve the nutrition of the recipe as well as the traditional soaking technique above). Note: the purpose of soaking the nuts is to re-hydrate them and plump them up for blending into a smooth, cheesecake-like consistency. Proper soaking techniques also maximize nutrition and digestibility. If you’re interested in learning more about nut soaking and other dessert prep tips and tricks, I delve into these subjects in detail in my book Unconventional Treats.

**For the lilac water, combine an additional 1/2 a cup of lilac flowers with 3/4 cup water and let sit at room temperature for a few hours to infuse. Then strain off the flowers and use the water in the recipe. This step is optional, so can also use plant milk instead if you prefer. See notes above the recipe in the tips section for more details on the lilac water.

recipe from unconventional baker