Lemony Cheesecake with Raspberry Glaze

March 17, 2015

I want to go on record as saying that I am not a fan of tofu cheesecake. It never has the smooth, creamy, fabulousness of cheesecake. But I was asked to come up with a recipe and so I worked and worked until I came up with this one. It’s pretty good…you’ll like it, I think.

Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredient List:

Crust:

  • 2 cups finely ground, blanched almonds
  • 1 cup finely ground rolled oats
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 2 ounces non-dairy, dark chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil (reserved)

Filling:

  • 2 pounds firm tofu, coarsely crumbled
  • 1 cup brown rice syrup
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons cashew butter
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2/3 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  • 3 tablespoons agar flakes
  • ¼ cup unsweetened organic almond or soy milk

Glaze:

  • 2/3 cup brown rice syrup simmered for 15 minutes with 1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
  • Juice of one half fresh lemon
  • Pinch sea salt

Step By Step Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan.

Make the crust. Combine ground almonds, oats and salt in a mixing bowl with melted chocolate. Mix well to create a moist texture. If the crust mixture seems dry, add oil, by the teaspoon, until the texture is moist. It should gather and not stick to your fingers, but crumble easily.

Press the crust evenly into prepared springform pan, covering the bottom and up the sides as much as your quantity will allow. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and cool completely before filling.

Make the filling. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Spoon ingredients into the cooled crust and bake for about an hour, until the edges of the filling are set, even though the center will still be loose. Set aside until cooled to room temperature and then place the cake in the refrigerator and chill completely.  

Before serving, place rice syrup, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Cool slightly before spooning over the cake.