Raw lemon & blueberry ‘cheesecake’

Decadent, indulgent and sweet! This raw lemon & blueberry ‘cheesecake’ may look loaded with refined sugar and butter, but it is not!  Life is all about having your cake and eating it too!

Raw lemon & blueberry ‘cheesecake’:

INGREDIENTS

• 450 g raw cashews
• 140 g macadamias
• 1⁄2 cup desiccated coconut
• 5 fresh dates, pitted
• 60 g pecans
• Pinch salt
• 1⁄3 cup coconut cream
• 1⁄2 cup agave syrup
• 11⁄2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1⁄3 cup lemon juice
• 1⁄2 tsp vanilla essence
• 140 g coconut oil, melted
• 40 g cocoa butter, melted
• 225 g frozen blueberries

To serve

• 125 g fresh blueberries
• 1 large lemon, sliced thinly crossways

METHOD

1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with cold water. Stand, covered, for 4 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Grease a 20 cm springform cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
3. Process macadamias, desiccated coconut and dates until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add pecans, and salt. Process until combined and the mixture starts to stick together. Press nut mixture firmly and evenly over the base of the pan using a plastic spatula. Freeze until you need it.
4. Blend drained cashews, coconut cream, syrup, zest, juice and vanilla essence until as smooth as possible. Add coconut oil and cocoa butter, and process until well combined and completely smooth. 5 Pour two-thirds of the filling over the nut base and smooth out. Scatter with half of the frozen blueberries – press them lightly into the filling. Freeze for1 hour to firm up a little.
6. Meanwhile, thaw remaining frozen blueberries. Add blueberries and any of their juices to the remaining lemon filling; blend until smooth. Spread blueberry filling over lemon filling and smooth the top to finish. Freeze cake for 4 hours or until firm.

To serve

1. Remove the cake from the pan and place on a serving plate or cake stand. Decorate with fresh blueberries and lemon slices.

ALSO SEE JASMINE JAPANESE CHEESECAKE RECIPE