This mini cake brings together two indulgent layers: a creamy chocolate cheesecake and a smooth vanilla and cinnamon ice cream, separated by a layer of fresh cherries. Its individual size makes it an ideal dessert to share one to one or to make for a special occasion. Slightly more technical than the usual raw recipes, it simply asks you to respect the freezing times between each layer. Served with a few berries and a drizzle of melted chocolate, it always makes an impression.
Raw frozen mini cake, cacao cheesecake and fresh cherries
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Ingredients
For the base
- 50 g raw almonds
- 50 g dates
For the cheesecake layer
- 80 g raw cashews
- 25 g softened coconut butter
- 20 g melted cacao butter
- 50 g honey
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 120 ml water
For the frozen layer
- A handful of pitted cherries cut in half, plus 3 or 4 whole ones
- 1 frozen banana, cut into cubes
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- 60 ml plant milk (or water)
To serve
- Frozen berries and melted raw chocolate
Method
- Blend the almonds and dates until you get a sticky paste, then press it into the bottom of a small tin lined with baking paper.
- Blend the ingredients for the cheesecake layer until smooth, then pour it over the base.
- Spread the halved cherries in an even layer over the cheesecake.
- Rinse the blender and blend the ingredients for the frozen layer until you get a smooth ice cream texture.
- Spread the frozen layer over the cherries, add the whole cherries and place in the freezer, ideally overnight.
- Leave to stand for 3 to 4 minutes at room temperature before unmoulding and slicing.
- Serve with a few frozen berries and a drizzle of melted chocolate.
Tip
For this individual format, a small blender works better than a large one; with a large blender, simply double the quantities for a bigger cake. Line the tin with baking paper leaving two strips hanging over the edge: they act as handles when unmoulding. Run the knife blade under hot water between each slice for a clean cut through both layers.
For ice cream that works every time: with the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe ice cream maker, there is no more stirring every hour or watching the freezer. You freeze the mixture in its tub, choose the programme (ice cream, sorbet, gelato or slush), and in a few minutes the machine gives you a smooth, creamy texture with no ice crystals. It is the machine we adopted this summer for our plant-based ice creams.
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FAQ: your questions about the raw frozen cherry cake
Should a cheesecake be baked with fan or conventional heat?
Here no baking is involved at all: the cake sets in the cold, not in the oven. That is exactly what separates a raw cheesecake from a classic one, which needs gentle baking in a water bath so that the egg mixture sets without cracking. In this version, it is the cashews, the coconut butter and the cacao butter that give the structure, hardening in the freezer. The only timing to respect is the cold between each layer.
What is Cyril Lignac's cheesecake recipe?
Chefs' recipes share three habits that are useful here too: a base pressed down firmly so it does not crumble when sliced, a filling blended perfectly smooth before pouring, and a long rest in the cold before unmoulding. In this raw version, blend the cheesecake layer until it is completely silky, with no cashew grit, and leave the cake a whole night in the freezer. Patience does more for the result than technique.
How do you make ice cream quickly?
The fastest method starts from an already frozen fruit, here the banana in cubes, blended with a little liquid until it takes on an ice cream texture, without going back into the freezer. This is what is known as nice cream. The secret lies in the power of the blender and the amount of liquid: add it spoonful by spoonful, otherwise the mixture turns into a milkshake. Serve at once or return it to the cold for 30 minutes to firm up.
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