Raw Vegan Ginger & Lime Cheesecake

Happy weekend lovely people.

I’ve got my one and only weekend off in about a month because of college commitments and unfortunately I have to spend it revising! So I’ve been making the most of my revision breaks and making lots of delicious treats to get me through.

With Mothers Day fast approaching on the 6th of March, I actually wanted to create a special cake that would be a perfect celebration cake for all the wonderful Mums out there. If anyones Mum is like mine then she’s super into all of the new healthy recipes, so it’s great that we can share lots of the products of my kitchen together! I don’t wait for Mothers Day to come around to bake my Mum a cake though, I like to do lots of lovely things for her all year round to show her how much I love her, involving lots of baking. Which means we definitely eat way more than our fair share of cake. The saving grace here is that it’s usually a cake that is nourishing, not one that is depleted of all nutrients.

This Raw cheesecake is pretty damn good for you because all of the ingredients are alkaline and remain in their natural state, meaning that all the enzymes and vitamins are left and are not destroyed through the cooking process. Not only that but there isn’t a damn inch of cheese or dairy in sight! Nor anything that you might find in a conventional cake such as flour, sugar or eggs. Many of the ingredients in this cake offer nutritional benefit. Let’s start with the walnuts that are known for their brain enhancing properties. They also contain good levels of omega-3 fatty acids which are anti-inflammatory. Walnuts are also excellent for dry skin, reducing your risk of heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders. The cashew nuts in here are a great ‘good mood food’ as they contain an amino acid called Tryptophan which is the precursor to the feel good hormone Serotonin, which is also essential for the production of Melatonin, the sleep hormone. So if you need a little mood boost or sleep aid then you now have the perfect excuse to indulge in a little baking this weekend. The ginger in the base of this cake is also a potent anti-inflammatory, especially beneficial for anyone suffering from an auto-immune disease, or any other inflammatory conditions. Ginger is also a great digestive aid.

Now don’t get me wrong if you are expecting a New York style cheesecake that tastes like cow and is filled with a tonne of sugar then you might have stumbled across the wrong recipe! This cheesecake is delicious and satisfying and it tastes like real, clean food. Not a processed pile of crap. I must say that my tastebuds have truly adapted, only now being able to enjoy real, whole food. It took a while on my journey for this transition, so if you are just starting out on a new health mission then remain positive, I assure you that everything will fall into place.

Anyway I wish all you all a very happy weekend, filled with things that set your soul on fire.

Ingredients

Base

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup almonds

1 cup of Medjool dates (about 10)

2 inch piece of fresh ginger – or more if you like an extra kick

3 teaspoons ground ginger

Top

3 cups of cashews soaked overnight (if you have no time then do it for at least 2 hours)

3/4 cup brown rice syrup or other syrup of choice

3/4 cup coconut oil melted

Zest of 2 limes and juice of half a lime

Pistachio nuts, pumpkin seeds and extra lime zest to garnish

How to make

First make the base by putting all of the ingredients in a food processor and mixing until everything is combined but still chunky. Do not over process or you will get a mush. Then press the mixture into a cake tin (the one I find works well to get the right depth is a 7inch round one, this is quite important to get the height on this cheesecake).

Next make the topping by blitzing the pre-soaked cashew nuts along with the syrup, coconut oil, lime juice and zest. Blend in the food processor until it is smooth and creamy. Then spread this on top of the base and pop the whole lot in the freezer to firm up for about 2 hours.

Once it’s nice and firm you can remove it from its tin and decorate it with some lime zest, crushed pistachio nuts and pumpkin seeds and then serve. It can be made well in advance and stored in the freezer until ready to serve and if you don’t eat all of it then pop it back in the freezer until next time! You don’t even need to defrost it as it doesn’t freeze as such, just give it about ten minutes out of the freezer to soften enough to be able to cut it.

I find it is best served with a dollop of vegan ice-cream.. (I recently discovered the Booja Booja Coconut one… and it’s a game changer!)

Enjoy this on Mothers Day or for any other special occasion 🙂