Raw Mango & Macadamia Cheesecake

Dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan.

Packed with nutrient-dense ingredients, raw vegan desserts have exploded onto the cafe scene in recent years as more and more people seek delicious ‘clean’ treats. All you need here is a food processor to blitz together your gluten-, dairy- and refined sugar-free ingredients to create three stunning layers. I love this tropical combo of mango, macadamia, and coconut with a squeeze of zesty lime juice to make all the flavors sing. Macadamias are waxy so they are fantastic for ‘creaming’, but cashews work equally well.

Ingredients

for the base:

• 90 g (11/2 cups) shredded coconut
• 160 g (1 cup) raw macadamias
• 8 Medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

for the filling:

• 240 g (11/2 cups) raw macadamias, soaked in cold water overnight, drained
• 270 ml can coconut cream
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

for the topping:

• 160 g (1 cup) raw macadamias, soaked in cold water overnight, drained
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) coconut cream
• 2 ripe mangoes, chopped
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
• pinch of sea salt flakes

to serve:

• grated lime zest and toasted coconut flakes

Method

1. Line a 20 cm square cake tin with a removable base with baking paper.
2. To make the base, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds to form a textured paste. Tip the paste into the tin and press firmly and evenly into the base. Rest in the freezer.
3. For the filling, blitz the macadamias in a food processor to form a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz until smooth. Pour the filling into the tin, then return to the freezer for 2 hours to firm up.
4. To make the topping, blitz the macadamias in a food processor to form a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz until smooth. Pour over the filling and smooth out with a spatula. Freeze for 4 hours.
5. Thaw the cake for 10 minutes, then use a hot knife to cut into 6 square pieces.
6. This cheesecake is best-eaten semi-frozen. Before serving, top with grated lime zest and toasted coconut flakes. Store your raw cake in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe from Easy Gluten-Free by Helen Tzouganatos, Published by Plum, RRP $39.99, Photography by Jeremy Simons.

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