I created this lovely vegan cheesecake for my friends at Real Kombucha who make beautiful kombuchas with single variety teas such Jasmine, Dragon Well and Darjeeling. You can have a lot of fun with different flavours of kombucha in this recipe: try those based on single estate teas, or homemade seasonal fruity numbers like the chamomile and apple kombucha.
Prep Time6 hourshrs
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time6 hourshrs15 minutesmins
Servings: 10people
Equipment
20cm cake or tart tin with a removable base or, for individual cheesecakes, a 12-hole muffin tin, each cup lined with a strip of silicone-free grease-proof paper to aid removal
Ingredients
For the cheesecake filling
250gcashews or macadamia nuts
250mlkombucha
3tbspcoconut oil
75gcoconut milk
100gmaple syrupor honey if you don't need the cheesecake to be vegan
Place the cashews or macadamia nuts for the cheesecake filling in a bowl and cover with the kombucha. Leave to soak at room temperature for 6 hours or in the fridge overnight. Strain the cashews, making sure you keep the kombucha liquid.
To make the base, preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Add the flour, oats, baking powder and salt to a big bowl. Mix well so the baking powder and salt are evenly distributed. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix everything together.
Press this base mix into the cake or tart tin, or the holes of muffin tin – adding enough of the mix to create a 1cm-deep base (you might have a bit of excess mix – if you do, use it to bake little cookies!). Slide the cheesecake base into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Put the kombucha-soaked, drained cashews in a food processor with the coconut oil, coconut milk and maple syrup. Add a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth, adding 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved kombucha liquid both for flavour and to help bring the mix together into a smooth, creamy cheesecake filling. You can also add a touch more syrup or honey if needed.
Spoon the filling over the chilled base(s). Return to the fridge for 4-6 hours or freeze for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until set.
The cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days or you can freeze it for up to 3 months (defrost it in the fridge before serving). Serve it with fresh, seasonal fruit.
Notes
Recipe by Natural Chef Academic Director Rachel De Thample. Allergens: gluten, nuts. CNM recommends the use of organic ingredients