Description
This vegan baked cheesecake features a creamy cashew and soy yogurt filling atop a buttery vegan crust, complemented by a vibrant cherry compote. Perfect for those seeking a dairy-free, plant-based dessert that’s rich, smooth, and bursting with fruity flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 300 g flour
- 150 g vegan butter (room temperature, cut into small chunks)
- 70 g brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 200 g cashews (soaked)
- 600 g vegan vanilla Greek soy yogurt (or vegan plain soy yogurt with 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 118 ml pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 40 g cornstarch
- 80 g aquafaba
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Cherry Compote
- 550 g frozen cherries (or frozen berries of choice)
- 60 g caster sugar (or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 170°C/340°F (fan oven) or 190°C/375°F conventional oven to prepare for baking the crust and cheesecake.
- Make the Crust: Line a 9.5″ springform cake tin with parchment paper on the base and sides. Add the flour, vegan butter, brown sugar, soy milk, and vanilla extract to a food processor and blitz until a dough forms.
- Form and Bake Crust: Press the dough evenly into the base and approximately 2 inches up the sides of the cake tin. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned.
- Prepare Filling: In a blender, combine soaked cashews, vegan yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest, salt, and cornstarch. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the baking powder.
- Whip Aquafaba: Beat the aquafaba with an electric whisk for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form and it becomes foamy.
- Fold Aquafaba into Filling: Gently fold the whipped aquafaba into the cheesecake batter in three increments using a spatula, taking care not to overmix to maintain airiness.
- Bake Cheesecake: Pour the filling over the baked crust and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the cheesecake is mostly set but slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from oven and let sit in the tin for at least an hour.
- Chill Cheesecake: Once cooled to room temperature, remove the cheesecake from the tin and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to fully set.
- Make Cherry Compote: In a saucepan, cook frozen cherries with sugar and lemon juice over low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes until juices are released.
- Thicken Compote: Strain cherry juices into a bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Return the mixture to medium-high heat and whisk continuously for 5 minutes until thickened. Combine with cherries and let cool to room temperature for about an hour.
- Serve: Top the chilled cheesecake with the cherry compote and enjoy.
Notes
- The cashews should be soaked for several hours or overnight to soften for blending into a creamy filling.
- Aquafaba is the liquid from canned chickpeas; whipping it creates a dairy-free alternative to egg whites for structure and lightness.
- You can substitute frozen cherries with other frozen berries according to preference.
- Maple syrup or caster sugar can be used interchangeably in the compote.
- Allowing the cheesecake to chill thoroughly is crucial for the right texture.
