This raw cheesecake layers a crunchy nut and cacao base, a melt-in-the-mouth strawberry and cashew cream and a raspberry centre, all finished with a drizzle of chocolate. With no baking, it sets in the freezer and slices cleanly once firm. It is the ideal dessert to make ahead when you have guests: it waits patiently in the cold until it is time to serve.
Raw strawberry and raspberry cheesecake with a nut and cacao base
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Ingredients
Base
- 150 g pecans or walnuts (or a mix of both)
- 8 large Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 3 tablespoons filtered water
- 1 pinch of salt (or the equivalent of 1 tablespoon - 15 ml - of seawater)
Strawberry cream
- 300 g raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
- 120 ml melted coconut oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 120 ml runny honey or brown rice syrup
- 300 g strawberries, chopped, plus a few whole strawberries to decorate
- 240 ml thick coconut cream (the solid part of a chilled tin of coconut milk)
- 125 g fresh or frozen raspberries
- 60 g 72% dark chocolate or raw chocolate, melted, for the topping
Method
- Soak the cashews for at least 4 hours in the fridge, or overnight.
- Line a 20 x 10 cm rectangular tin with baking paper, leaving it hanging over the sides so you can lift the cake out easily.
- For the base, blend the nuts into a fine powder, add the dates, cacao and salt, then blend until you get crumbs. Add the water one spoonful at a time until the mixture clumps together.
- Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of the tin and set aside. Rinse the food processor bowl.
- For the cream, drain and rinse the cashews, then blend them into fine crumbs.
- Add the strawberries, coconut cream, lemon juice and honey, and blend on full power until the cream is perfectly smooth. With the motor running, pour in the melted coconut oil in a thin stream.
- Pour about 250 g of the cream over the base, scatter the raspberries on top, then cover with the rest of the cream. Tap the tin to release any air bubbles and place in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours.
- Unmould by running a blade around the edges, then pulling on the baking paper.
- Drizzle with the melted chocolate, leave to rest for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature and slice while still very cold for clean portions. Decorate with fresh strawberries.
Tip
Wrapped well in cling film and then placed in a container, this cheesecake keeps for up to three months in the freezer. Take it out 20 minutes before serving if you prefer it creamier, or slice it frozen for perfectly clean portions.
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FAQ: your questions about the raw strawberry and raspberry cheesecake
How do you make a no-bake strawberry cheesecake?
For a raw version, the filling is made with 300 g of cashews soaked for at least 4 hours, blended with the strawberries, coconut cream, lemon juice and honey or rice syrup, then with the melted coconut oil. Pour it over a pressed base of nuts, dates and raw cacao, add a raspberry centre, and leave to set for 2 to 4 hours in the freezer. It is the coconut oil that firms up in the cold and holds the cake together, with no gelatine or cheese.
Is cheesecake baked?
The classic New York cheesecake is baked in the oven at a low temperature, which gives it its dense texture. There are also many no-bake versions, which set in the fridge thanks to gelatine or whipped cream. This cheesecake is entirely raw: nothing goes in the oven, and it is the time in the freezer that makes it set.
How do you get a cheesecake out of the tin?
The easiest way is to line the tin with baking paper, leaving the edges hanging over, then lift the cake out by these flaps once it has fully set. For a raw cheesecake like this one, unmould it while still frozen, after running a smooth knife along the sides. Then leave it for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing, for a clean cut.
What is the difference between a cheesecake and a French cheese tart?
Cheesecake, which comes from the United States, is built on a base of crushed biscuits and a thick filling of fresh cream cheese. The fromage blanc tart, very common in Alsace and Germany, tends to use shortcrust or sweet pastry and fromage blanc, a soft fresh cheese, for a lighter result. In this raw recipe there is neither: cashews and coconut cream take the place of the cheese.
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