Orange Cheesecake In the Raw

I know that a raw vegan cheesecake sounds oxymoronic, The first question that people ask when I tell them about this dish is, “How is it cheesecake?” Well, strictly speaking, it’s not. However, in my humble opinion, it is far better! I originally was given a lemon version of this recipe when I was training as the raw food dessert chef at the cafe my mother used to own. I was about fourteen years old, and was psyched to be doing something other than spilling drinks and trying to unlock the secret of dairy free cappuccinos. It became an orange cheesecake, simply because we ran out of lemons one day. But it’s a common occurrence for the best recipes in my family to be accidental, devised out of necessity. And never was necessity so healthy or delicious!

Cashews, though easy to find, are anything but common! Rich in antioxidants and abundant in unsaturated fats and protein, the cashew is like a nature-packaged vial of youth. Unsaturated fats have been known to reduce the risk of heart disease and lower the risk of premature death. High quantities of copper make them the perfect brain food and energy producers. So they are simultaneously gifting you with protein and the energy to turn it into muscle! But wait! There’s more! The manganese and magnesium in the cashew also help to keep bones strong and healthy – which is great considering the higher risk of osteoporosis in women. See, I can’t recall a single other cheesecake that helped me maintain strong bones, a healthy brain, muscle, a healthy heart, and didn’t taste like cardboard and ghee.

To this day, this is my favorite dessert recipe! It’s flavor is simultaneously light and very rich, and the orange is sweet. I like to make a raspberry coulis to go on top of it, just for the sharpness of the berry to cut through the sweet orange. All that entails is processing some frozen raspberries with a little agave nectar (to taste) and dribbling it over each slice when served.

But wait, a warning; this is not your mama’s “quarter of the cake” slice kind of dessert. This is rich! So portion with care, though cashews are also known to aid in weight loss, so if you eat the whole thing, no regrets. (;

RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Orange Cheesecake in the Raw

Crust

5 oz. + 2 Tbsp. pecans

2 oz. dried cranberries

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. raw agave nectar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

To Make the Crust:

Place all ingredients, in listed order, in a food processor fitted with the ‘S’ blade.

Pulse and process until the crust is crumbly and the pecans pieces are a little larger than the size of sesame seeds.

Line the bottom of an 8″ spring-form pan with a circle of parchment paper.

Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the 8″ spring-form pan, using a small offset spatula to level off top of crust.

Filling

1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked overnight (up to 24 hours) and drained

1 cupe date paste

3/4 cup coconut oil. liquefied

1/2 cup raw agave nectar

2 Tbsp. soy lecithin granules (or sunflower lecithin granules)

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

Zest of two oranges

3 Tbsp. vanilla extract

To Make The Filling:

Put soaked and drained cashews in a food processor or vVitamix and process until smooth.

Add coconut oil and date paste and process until fully incorporated;

Add remaining ingredients. Pulse until smooth and creamy.

To Assemble Cheesecake:

Put filling in crust. Tap and twist the spring-form pan on the countertop until filling settles and smooth top with an offset spatula.

Cheesecake be decorated with chocolate sauce or raspberry coulis if desired.

Refrigerate 12 -24 hours ( or freeze 2 hours) before serving.