Raw Blueberry Cashew Cake

I'm going to preface this by saying, this is one of the best raw cakes I have ever eaten.

You will often find this type of dessert called a vegan "cheesecake."  I am really not a fan of trying to imitate meat and dairy based foods, and I have yet to taste two foods that taste exactly alike.  Calling plant-based food "imitation" dishes to meat/dairy cuisine is sending the wrong message.  Vegan cuisine is good in its own right and it really doesn't need to compare itself to anything.  Why do I mention all this?  Because your mindset going into experimenting with these new flavors is everything!

I think the trouble that most recipes get into with these kinds of cakes is they get so caught up in trying to imitate cheesecake, they forget to make the cashew flavor in this really shine!  I have tried recipes that have included everything from trying to ferment cashews to adding far too much lemon juice to get the "sour" flavor of cheesecake.  For this reason I've decided not to call this cheesecake, because it's a cashew cake!

Besides, the fact that this is dairy-free is a good thing.  Did you know that 75% of adults suffer from some symptom of lactose intolerance? Perhaps the milk from a pregnant, lactating female cow isn't what we should be putting in our food?  You might be relieved to learn that there are plenty of plant-based sources of calcium, Google it!

I also made this oil-free.  I typically avoid or minimize the use of oil when cooking, more on that later.  If you have a high-powered blender, it's a piece of cake to avoid oils with this dish.  If not, I have included some tricks for you to get a uniform blend with a food processor!  Using coconut oil will be the most reliable way to get a uniform blend with a lower powered machine.  A good alternative to oil to try is coconut butter (which I also use in the crust).  If all else fails and you just cannot get a uniform blend with your device, I have included a few more ideas to try.

This is a very rich dessert, I like to make them for special occasions but hey, any day can be a special occasion.  Enjoy!

Recipe type: Dessert

Servings: 9-12
Preparation Time: 15 minutes, freeze overnight
Tags: Vegan, oil-free, gluten free

Ingredients

Tip! If you'd just like to try this recipe out before committing to a large batch, cut this recipe in half.

Crust

• 1 and 1/2 cups medjool dates, buy these with the pitts still inside, and remove pitts before use.
• 2 cups pecans (walnut will work too)
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla powder or extract (link to the brand I use in the tools section)
• 1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut butter

Filling

• 3 cups raw cashews
• 1 and 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. agave syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla powder or extract
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• Juice from 1 lemon (must be fresh lemon juice)
• Up to 1/2 cup water, use minimum amount for smooth blend
• Additional coconut butter and agave syrup for blending, as needed

Directions

Crust:

1. Add all of the ingredients for the crust to a food processor and blend.  Be patient, allow the mixture to continue mixing until it starts to form a loose dough.
2. Push mixture into the bottom of your spring-form pan(s).  It should stick together and form a solid base.
3. Set pans into the freezer to chill while you prepare the filling

Notes:  Have you ever had salt called fleur de del?  It is a French salt with a unique taste.  Try replacing the sea salt in this recipe for that to boost the flavor.

Filling:

High Powered Blender Method:

1. Add filling ingredients to a high powered blender and blend.  Continue to push the mixture down into the blades and blending until you get a smooth, uniform consistency.
2. This is usually the part where I stop measuring.  Add up to 2 Tbsp. coconut butter and up to 2 Tbsp. agave syrup until mixture blends smooth.
3. Freeze overnight and eat directly out of the freezer.  Place them in a large freezers bag or cover with saran wrap or aluminum foil to prevent the cakes from absorbing flavors from the freezer.

Note:  If you have a weaker blender I recommend using using a food processor instead.  For this, you will need to soak the cashews in water overnight in the refrigerator to soften them up.  Drain and rinse before use.

Spoon/pour mixture into pan on top of crust and place in the freezer overnight.  The next day open up the spring-form pan.  After this, cake can be stored chilled in the refrigerator.  I like to use 3 mini spring-form pans.  I keep one in the refrigerator and de-thaw the rest as I am ready to eat them.  That way they stay fresh for a very long time!  It is helpful to store them in plastic or glass tupperware containers in the fridge or freezer so to preserve the flavor.

Serve

Freeze overnight and eat directly out of the freezer!  You can store these long term in the freezer.

You'll often see that cakes like these contain thickeners, but you do not need them.  The longer that these are in the freezer they continue to thicken and the texture gets even more delicious.  After day 2 the texture is a bit like ice cream and it melts in your mouth, so good!

My Tools (links are clickable)

Lemon juicer:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010TFF6AE/...

Food processor:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LBZOYAK/...

Blender:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LBFUKIA/...

Mini Sping-form pans:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AK4ADQ2/...

9 inch Spring-form pan:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000237FSA/...

Vanilla Powder (this little packet lasts a long time)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DUQXGHE/...

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