A truly heavenly dessert that contains nothing but wholesome ingredients, this sinfully creamy Mocha Chocolate Vegan Cheesecake will totally blow your mind!
While in Costa Rica, there are a couple of
things that I truly missed
. One of them was
tofu
call me weird, but I happen to love the stuff and not only is it very hard to find over there, but their firm tofu is the equivalent of our silky; so yeah... not very good for cooking!
--- and the other one was
baking and creating yummy desserts!
I just never found myself in a proper set-up for that...
I ended up getting back home not long before
my birthday, and then Easter
was just a handful of days later. With
cheesecake being my favorite dessert
in the whole wide world
--- the only one thing I truly miss since going vegan ---
and well,
chocolate and Easter being so totally inseparable
, I didn't have to think very long before deciding that I was going to whip some kind of a
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
for the occasions.
The plan was to
make the cake for my birthday
--- which I had to spend confined at home ---
and that should've given ample time to
share the recipe with you in time for Easter
, but then life got in the way, I had to get my water pump fixed instead,
yay-fun-NOT, I'll spare you the details...
and so plans had to change!
But I still made the cake
--- boy ô boy, be happy that I did! ---
and I'm still
sharing the recipe
with you today!
In time for next year's Easter!
Joking aside, you can totally make this cake for
just about any occasion
, no need to wait for your birthday, or for Easter. And while it might look like it's super complicated and seems like it would take forever to make, know that it
really isn't that hard
at all, and that it
comes together fairly quickly,
too.
But honestly, the only thing you really need to know is that this heavenly cake is sinfully delicious. And yes, one can totally use the words
heavenly AND sinfully
together in the same breath. This cake is living proof of that! What's more, you'll never believe that it's made with nothing but
healthy stuff and wholesome ingredients.
Oh, and whoever you share it with will love you for the rest of their life!
For the crust
Start by lining the bottom of an 8″ springform pan with parchment paper.
To do that, remove the ring and
cover the plate with parchment paper
; Fold the excess paper back under the plate and, while holding it in place with one hand,
put the ring back in its position
with the other hand. Bring the excess paper back from under the pan but do not cut it off.
Now combine the ground
rolled oats, almond flour, cacao powder, cinnamon and salt
in a large mixing bowl. Add the
melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract
.
Mix with a large spoon or rubber spatula
until well combined
.
Transfer the crust mixture
to the prepared pan and
press it delicately
at the bottom, going slightly up the sides, then
place the pan in the fridge
for that crust to set.
To press the crust, I like to use a flat bottomed glass, or similar flat object... it makes the job so much easier. If you find that the crust tends to stick to your glass, just dip it lightly in cold water.
For the creamy mocha filling
Now let's get working on that yummy filling. It's fairly easy, you'll see! Start by placing the
raw cashews and hot coffee
in the container of a high speed blender.
If you didn't have a high speed blender, you could probably get away with using a conventional blender, or even a food processor, but your cake won't turn out nearly as creamy...
Process the cashews and coffee
until smooth and creamy
. Start that blender on low and
progressively increase the speed
to high, and stop to
scrape the sides
once or twice during the process to be sure that every last bit gets incorporated.
Once smooth, add the
date paste
, coconut milk
(be sure to use the full fat kind)
,
coconut oil
(no need to melt it this time)
,
maple syrup, lime juice, vanilla and salt
.
Again,
process until well combined, smooth and creamy
, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
Pour in the melted unsweetened chocolate
and resume blending until it is fully incorporated.
My favorite method for melting chocolate is to chop it super finely and then melt it in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring almost constantly until about half of the chocolate is melted. I then kill the heat and keep stirring until all the chocolate bits are melted, returning to the heat briefly if and as needed.
Transfer every last bit of that delicious, creamy mocha chocolate mixture
into the chilled prepared crust
.
Every last bit I said... don't try and leave some at the bottom of the container on purpose, just so you can lick it clean later! What? Who, me? No! I certainly did not! Alright, you got me... I did. But it was just a little teaspoon, I swear!
Now
gently tap the sides of the pan
,
or bang it a few times on the counter
, to
even out the top and eliminate any potential air bubbles
that may have gotten trapped in that sea of deliciousness...
Make that top all beautiful and nice and even by smoothing it with a
small offset spatula
and then
place your cake in the fridge
until it's completely set,
at least 4 hours
, but even better yet, overnight.
That is what your cake will look like
when it's fully set
. Then you'll be ready for the next step...
For the chocolate topping
Once your cake is fully set, place the
chopped dark chocolate, coconut milk
(again, use the full fat variety),
coconut oil and pinch of salt
in a small saucepan.
Melt over very low heat
, stirring almost constantly
until about half of the chocolate chunks are melted
. Remove from heat and keep stirring until fully melted and silky, returning the pan to the heat source briefly only if and as needed.
It is very important that you do not let the mixture become hot.
Now take your cake out of the fridge and
slowly pour
the melted chocolate
mixture right over it.
Again,
gently tap the side of your pan
and give it a little shake to help the chocolate settle and get really even and smooth.
Delicately transfer your cake to the fridge
to set,
from 10 to 30 minutes,
depending on whether you plan on garnishing the top with chocolate shavings.
If you didn't have any chocolate shavings and would like to make your own,
check out this post
to find out how I make mine...
Now, if you're going to garnish your cake, you want to do that
while the chocolate topping is still on the soft side
,
after about 10 minutes of refrigeration
; this way the shavings will adhere to it. Then,
return the cake to the fridge
for another 20 minutes or so, until the chocolate topping is fully set.
On the other hand,
if you're not going to garnish that top
, simply leave the
cake in the fridge until fully set
, about 30 minutes.
As you can see in the pictures, I went ahead and topped mine with a mountain of shavings and then chose to also toss a few roasted coffee beans in the lot!
Once the chocolate topping is fully set,
carefully remove the cake from the pan
and place it on a cake plate.
To release the cake real cleanly, it helps to slightly warm up the side of the pan. I find the best way to do this is by delicately heating it with a propane torch or warm cloth. If you choose to use a propane torch, make sure that you maintain a good distance from that pan and that you don't stay in the same spot for more than a few seconds; keep that flame moving, or you may end up melting the cake!
Keep your finished cake in the refrigerator but if time permits, be sure to leave it at
room temperature for about an hour before serving
.
Trust me, your taste buds will thank you!
