I always say that I’m not a raw person but that isn’t exactly true. When I’m in SF I’m practically tethered to Cafe Gratitude and one of the best meals I had in LA was at Cru. Brooklyn used to have a hole in the wall (almost literally) restaurant where I would enjoy soggy dehydrated pancakes. Yeah, I said soggy and enjoy in the same breath.
I think I just don’t have the patience for the preparation techniques, like dehydrating and spiral slicing. And while raw is all wonderfully healthy, I’m not positive that cooked spinach is going to kill me, despite the wacky emails I get from time to time. Luckily for us vegans, raw food is almost exclusively free of animal products and so that opens up a whole world of experimentation. I love, for example, using soaked cashews to create creaminess. In fact, many of my favorite vegan desserts have been raw. I’m just not into that vegan cheesecake, loaded with telltale, groan-worthy tofutti and confectioner’s sugar. My favorite cheesecake from Cafe Gratitude contains coconut, dates and Irish Moss. So gather your ingredients and…wait. Irish Moss?
Yeah, so I wanted to make a minimum hassle recipe that was easy enough to create from ingredients you could procure from any health food store. I scoured the internet for hints on how to go about it and I decided on my beloved soaked cashews and coconut oil. The oil is solid at room temperature so ensures that everything stays together. No special equipment needed, this cake came together in a snap. The only prep you need to do is to remember to soak the cashews in advance. Also remember that the cake will need at least 4 hours to set.
The end result was a really, really rich and creamy cake. And you’ll believe me when I say I am not rich-dessert phobic, but the cake really does serve 16. It’s got plenty of strawberry flavor and a little tang from the lime. It needed a little extra strawberry blast at the end, so I threw together a quick strawberry sauce. The crust was modified from the Cafe Gratitude desserts cookbook. I Am Pilfering. To melt your coconut oil place it in a small covered container and place that in a bowl of very hot water. Melt it right before using so that it doesn’t solidify.
Raw Strawberry Cheesecake
Serves 16
Crust
1 cup pecans
1 cup almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
Filling
3 cups raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight (or at least 3 hours)
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol free is preferred for raw desserts)
32 oz strawberries (reserve 9 for decorating), hulled and halved – about 4 cups
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
Raw Fluffy White Frosting Recipe
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked overnight
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (alcohol free is preferred for raw desserts)
1/4 cup raw coconut oil, melted
Strawberry Coulis (Coulis is a fancy word for pureed sauce)
2 cups chopped strawberries
3 tablespoons agave syrup
Lightly grease a 9 inch spring form pan with coconut oil and set aside.
To prepare the crust, pulse nuts and salt in a food processor fit with a metal blade. When nuts are fine crumbs, add the dates and pulse until the dough holds together when squeezed between your fingers. Firmly press crust into the bottom of prepared cake pan. Set aside.
To prepare the filling, pulse cashews in food processor until crumbly. Add agave, water, lime juice and vanilla and puree until very smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything. Feed the strawberries through the top of the food processor and puree until incorporated. The filling should turn a pretty pink. With the processor running, add the melted coconut oil in a steady stream.
Pour the filling into the cake pan. It will look like a smoothie and you’ll think no way it will set, but it will! Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set. Make sure it’s level so that your cake doesn’t come out wonky. Let set for at least 4 hours.
Prepare the frosting in basically the same way as the cake. Pulse the cashews in the food processor until crumbly. Add the water, agave and vanilla and blend until smooth. With the food processor running, stream the coconut oil in through the top until combined. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill until set, about 2 hours.
Prepare the sauce when you’re close to serving. Just mash the strawberries up with the agave until it’s all red and syrupy.
To assemble
Release the cake from its springform prison. Use a mini scoop to place 8 mounds of icing around the perimeter of the cake and one in the center. Slice the tops off the reserved strawberries and gently smush them upside down into the frosting mounds. If you don’t have a mini scoop, just use a spoon and make them as pretty as you can, they’re gonna get smushed anyway.
To serve, place some Strawberry Coulis on the plate and serve the cake over it. Dig in!
I was about to say ‘You Go, Girl!’, but then I realized you didn’t offer me a piece.
This looks so fresh and delicious and amazing. This is a thing of beauty.
Come over, Jess, there’s plenty left.
Cashews are so great. They can do anything.
Dangit! Maybe it’s because I’m allergic to them, but it feels like a vegan’s love for cashews is rivaled only by his/her tofu-adoration. Can I substitute in any nut for the cashews in this recipe? (Raw) Almonds? Walnuts?
This looks delicious.
I love raw cheesecakes. Now if I can just figure out how to make the filling in my Magic Bullet. And that frosting has possiblities. I wonder if that would be good with some cocoa added and spread on some brownies.
Beautiful! I love how the frosting looks, don’t think I’ve seen one set up so firm before. Nice. 🙂
To the post who asked about a cashew sub, they might want to try macadamias?
Yuummmmmm! Bookmarked for when I get a bajillion strawberries in my CSA!
Have to try it, looks so amazing and delicious!
Oh wow, this is phenomenal!!! I must make this in the summertime =)
This looks beyond amazing.
I love raw desserts, this looks awesome 🙂
Rock on sister. Nice dessert.
it looks pretty good, i must try to make my own : )
I’ve never liked cheesecake. Vegan ones made it seem like I could finally have a cheesecake that would be palatable to me, but truth is I’ve yet to have one, because like you “I’m just not into that vegan cheesecake, loaded with telltale, groan-worthy tofutti and confectioner’s sugar.” So thanks for this fabulous recipe – it looks like it will become the very first cheesecake I’ll be able to enjoy!
Hey Dom Deluise, first off, RIP. Next off, try a mix of almond and macamia. Bet it’ll be slammin!
Omigod! Isa, I seriously love you. I am saving this so I can make it later. Yum!
I think this might well be the strawberry pie that I have been craving for thirty three years. I can’t wait to try it!
Wow! I’m not even into sweets or desserts… but this is ridiculous. I’m craving it now. Amazing pictures!!
Isa, this looks so good! I am trying to experiment more with raw foods. I can’t wait to try this! I am just wondering do you always have to soak raw cashews?
Hey Jay! No, you don’t always have to soak raw cashews. I often do because you want to break them down into the smallest particles possible so that they’re as creamy as possible. For this dessert I think it’s important and for cream sauces I think it’s important. But if I’m making, say, a pesto with cashews then I won’t necessarily soak.
That is one of the most beautiful deserts i have seen in my life. I have no idea what coulis is but it looks slammin’ to.
100% lovely! are those starberrys from yr garden?
OoOo! Yes, please!
Looks gorgeous! Can you taste the coconut… I’m a rare coconut hating vegan!
This looks WONDERFUL! I might just try it for our next potluck… Feeds 16, did you say? We’ll see! (I’m a bit too fond of rich desserts for my own good…)
Gorgeous! dang. I wish I was there to share with you.
wow, i never thought raw food could look so yummy! i’ll make sure to try this recipe for our midsummers party(typical swedish tradition) in june. 🙂 and btw, thanks for a wonderful blog!
Oh wow. This looks amazing, and I am totally going to make a raspberry version very, very soon.
Meagan, I wanted it to be raspberry! The raspberries at the store didn’t taste too sweet, though.
I am unfamiliar with the properties of coconut oil – if you leave the cake out at room temperature for awhile before serving (say, at a potluck), is it going to get too soft?
That looks totally yummy. Thanks Isa!
oh, YEAH!!!!!! we’re getting to you over here on the West Coast now, aren’t we!! 🙂
making toDAY.
p.s. i am so thankful that you are bringing your yumminess to the raw food style. it could use a little isa!
This looks so great! For those of us who might be just a wee bit lazy, or making a whole dinner and a bit short on time, do you think it would still be pretty good without the frosting and coulis?
I saw your tweet about this – damn…why don’t I have any cashews in the house!!! Looks delicious.
Mark, I think leaving the frosting off would be totally fine. But the strawberry sauce takes like 3 minutes and really boosts the strawberry flavor so I would just go for it.
oh my god. This is on my “must make” list as soon as I finish eating all the chocolate peanut butter pillows I made this week…
I went to Cafe Gratitude last summer and it was amazing. We went for lunch and had to swing back by before we left SF for a few goodies to go. I got their (un?)cookbook and was bummed about the Irish Moss thing too. Your Cheesecake looks great and I was planning on taking my boys strawberry picking in the next week or so anyways, so I will be trying this out. Thanks!
Ooh Yum!! I absolutely love the cream on top – will have to try that next time! Convieniently I have some cashews soaking… hmmm 🙂 I think I know what I’ll be doing this afternoon!
cafe gratitude does have incredible desserts, so I can’t wait to try this simpler, unfettered version. and it’s not something I am forced to order in the form of an affirmation…radical.
i’m totally making this for mother’s day
ISA!!
i love you!
when is Vegan Brunch coming out????????
ive been looking all over the internet and your site for a date.. and i can’t find it! but i feel like everyone else knows when it is…. lol so im missing something
I am so excited to make this during strawberry season at the end of June! Maybe I’ll drizzle chocolate on top. Mmm….
Thanks for the recipe!
anissa, Brunch is out on May 25th, maybe a little earlier even.
Wow im so happy i stumbled upon your blog! I was actually considering to buy your book just a couple of days ago.
This cheesecake looks so great! I have tried to make vegan cheesecakes twice before, they both contained tofu and turned out horribly. But your recipie has no tofu 🙂 I will have to try it! What is it that makes it set so well?
Wow, that looks so amazing!
Isa, you are my hero.
Rose – blended cashews set up really nicely on their own but coconut oil is solid at room temp, and that seals the deal!
What would you suggest as a cashew replacement? This looks fantastic, but I’m super allergic to nuts (allergic to sesame, too! It’s a tough life, vegan cooking wise)
COOKED SPINACH WILL KILL YOU!!!!!11!1