A Summer Classic: Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

This post is also available in: Suomi (Finnish)

So I made a cake. It was my husband’s birthday yesterday and being a food blogger and a passionate baker, I feel it’s my duty and calling to make a cake for my loved ones. And sometimes for myself too. But making a cake for someone else is a lot more fun. But okay, let’s get back to this cake. I posted a raw strawberry cheesecake recipe here on the blog a few years ago, but I felt it needed a bit of an update so I decided to make a new version of it. I chose to make it this weekend, as strawberries are now in their best season here in Finland, and this cake has a lot of them. I also got a bit carried away on the process…

You see, I intended to make a pretty two-layer cake and then top it with just fresh strawberries and coconut flakes. Like this.

It’s pretty, but kind of minimalistic. And I felt like doing something over the top. So I got this idea to add some ice cream on top… and serve it with more ice cream. And yes, I did both of them.

And DAMN was it good. Like r.e.a.l.l.y. good.

The cake was super creamy, but not too ‘greasy’, like raw cakes sometimes are when you add a lot of coconut oil to the batter. I added only a few tablespoons of coconut oil to the filling and kept the batter really thick, and then sweetened it only with a banana and a very small splash of honey. The strawberries are now so sweet, that you really don’t need that much additional sweetener. Meaning you can have a huge scoop of ice cream on top of your slice. Hehe.

I’m starting to feel that this post is turning out totally different than it was supposed to be, but let’s see this ramble just as a declaration of love for summer, ice cream, and strawberries tasting like little pieces of heaven. And for the fact that’s it’s holiday season, time to ditch the city, and spend the next couple weeks at summer cottages and around the archipelago. Picture a very satisfies smiley face here. It’s me. I plan on making a lot more yummy recipes and eating all the berries I can find during the next couple weeks. I hope you guys are having a great summer and spending it in a way that makes You feel good. And eating strawberries too. Sending hugs to all of you guys, be well! xo

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

notes: I rarely have very exact measurements when I make a raw cake, as I think it’s best to taste the filling as you make it and add some sweetener, berries, lemon juice, or something else, if I feel like the filling needs something more. so feel free to modify my recipes to your liking!

8-inch / 20 cm springform cake pan

Crust:
1 1/2 cup walnuts (or pecans / almonds)
a tiny pinch of salt
6-8 fresh dates, pitted

Filling:
1 1/2 cup cashews (soaked overnight)
1 ripe banana
1 big lemon, juiced
2/3 cup coconut milk
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1-2 tbsp organic honey (or maple syrup)
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
4 cups fresh strawberries

Toppings:
sliced strawberries, coconut flakes & (vegan) ice cream

METHOD:

1. Place the cashews in a big bowl, cover with water and soak overnight or for at least 4-6 hours until making the cake.

2. Start by preparing the crust. Add walnuts and salt into a blender or a food processor and grind until fine crumble. Cut the dates into smaller pieces and add in couple turns. Blend until you get a sticky dough. Line the bottom of a cake tin with baking paper and press the dough to the bottom of the cake tin. Place it in the freezer while making the filling.

3. Rinse the blender. Drain and rinse the cashews and add them to the blender. Add the banana, lemon juice, coconut milk, honey, 2 tbsp of coconut oil and the vanilla powder. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Taste, and add more honey / lemon juice, if needed.

4. Take the cake tin from the freezer and pour about 1/3 of the filling on top of the crust. Add about 2 cups of strawberries and 1 tbsp of coconut oil to the blender and blend until smooth. Pour the strawberry filling on top of the first layer and place the cake back to the freezer for 4-6 hours, until the filling has set.

5. When the filling has set, take the cake from the freezer and remove the sides of the cake tin carefully. Let thaw for 15-20 minutes before serving and then decorate with the remaining strawberries, coconut flakes, and some ice cream if desired. Serve, and enjoy!

6. The cake will remain good in the fridge for a couple of days, for longer periods, store in the freezer.