Everyone who tastes this colourful vegan cheesecake will be sure to experience a spectrum of joy.
I’m an obedient girl most of the time, but when my best friend tells me not to celebrate her birthday, I make sure I do the exact opposite thing. How could I obey to such ridicule. Everybody deserves cake on their birthday. And Chew deserves a ‘million-dollar’ rainbow vegan cheesecake topped with raw donuts. We can call this pastel beauty the Unicorn Cake 2.0.
We met six years ago but it definitely feels like I’ve known her my whole life. When we played the ‘newlywed’ challenge with our Castle fam (#5thand6thwheeling) last week, we aced nearly every question about each other. Chew’s favourite animals include elephants and unicorns, favourite ice cream flavours are matcha and cookies ‘n cream, laughs when she’s nervous or lying, wanted to be an astronaut, and favourite tv show is the bachelor/bachelorette.
Chew and I are the type of friends that make everything into an ‘adventure’. Eating a platter of falafels in the car is just as much of an adventure as backpacking up a snowy mountain in the middle of winter. Sometimes we dress up and head to a luxury hotel to tackle a dessert buffet and other times we look like Slob 1 and Slob 2 walking into our go-to ice cream shop. Chew has dragged my lazy bum far beyond my comfort zone boundaries many times, and I’m sure glad she still does! I’ve climbed mountains, biked distances, and explored places I never thought I would. My muscles ache because of it, but every time my heart leaves warm and happy vibes zip around my circulatory system.
This vegan cheesecake is based on the wildly popular cherry crumble one we shared not too long ago. Ya’ll seemed to have been just as excited about them as we were! It’s a bit tangy, very smooth (smoother if you use a high-speed blender but a food processor does a decent job too), and super rich and creamy like a ‘real’ cheesecake should be. It’s also incredibly easy to prepare because it is all done in a single food processor and doesn’t require any heat (don’t you love freezer desserts?). I had so much fun swirling the gorgeous colours together; just try to avoid over-swirling. Any leftover batter can be used to glaze raw ‘donuts/donut holes’; they make pretty cake toppers! Admittedly, the rest of the candy I used isn’t vegan friendly, but feel free to use whatever treats you like. I thought that mini eggs, Raffaelo truffles, peanut butter chips, and white chocolate matched the cake particularly well. We do have a recipe to make your own vegan-friendly mini eggs and vegan coconut macaroons if you’re looking for something similar. Served plain or topped elaborately with extra treats, this vegan cheesecake is a stunner.
To the friend that is forever ‘graceful’, happy 21st birthday. Even if it’s spent laying on the couch being useless humans, I hope you have a fulfilling start to the next decade of life. You are now considered an adult all around the globe. Cheers!
- CRUST
- ⅔ cup nuts (I used half almonds and half walnuts)
- ⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 8 large pitted Medjool dates
- A pinch of salt
- FILLING
- 1½ cup raw macadamia nuts*, soaked overnight and then drained
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 (14 oz) can of coconut cream
- Food colourants (raspberry juice, spirulina, turmeric and/or synthetic colours)
- For the crust, blend the nuts and coconut together until semi-fine. Add the dates and salt and blend until a dough forms. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed between two fingers. If it is too crumbly, add water 1 tsp at a time until the consistency is right.
- Press about ⅔ of the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of a lined removable-bottom cake pan (mine was 7" in diameter). Roll the remaining crust mixture into balls or decorative shapes.
- Wipe the food processor bowl clean and then blend the macadamia nuts until smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients and blend until completely smooth and uniform.
- Divide the filling mixture into 3 bowls (approximately ⅓ of the mixture in each) and dye with desired colorants. I went with pink, orange, and blue.
- Add the dyed filling mixture to the cake pan one spoonful at a time, alternating between colours, until the whole pan is filled. Using a thin knife or a skewer, swirl the top to make a pretty design. Chill the cake in the freezer overnight until completely firm.
- Once firm, decorate the top and chill again if needed.
- Take the cake out of the freezer at least 1 hour before serving to let it soften a bit. Release the cake from the pan and cut with a hot, sharp knife.
Recipe adapted from our Cherry Crumble No-Bake Cheesecake and inspired by So Beautifully Real
I’m making this right now, and it’s very liquid. I did all of the measurements correct. Have I done something wrong?? Should I add more of something
Don’t worry! The coconut oil and coconut cream should help the cake solidify in the freezer.