Cherry Cheesecake

Hello food lovers,

Cherry season is so short that we have to make the most of it! :-)

So let me introduce you to a vegan cheesecake with cherries and speculoos.

Made with silken tofu flavoured with lemon and vanilla, this cheesecake will delight those who are lactose intolerant and vegans.

I find this type of cake so much better with fruit, which is why I suggest adding cherries to get a delicious summer cheesecake, bursting with sunshine! :-)

To make a cheesecake in a 23.5 cm springform pan, you will need:

Biscuit base

- 250gr of speculoos or speculoos crumbs

- 50gr of vegan butter

Cheesecake

- 250gr of cherries

- 40gr of sugar

- 1kg of silken tofu

- 150gr of sugar

- 40gr of cornstarch

- 2 tsp of vanilla flavouring

- The zest of 2 lemons

Cherry jelly

- 250gr of cherries

- 1.5gr of pectin

- 30gr + 20gr of sugar

Biscuit base

First of all, we are going to make the cheesecake base, as it will need some time in the freezer.

In a blender, pour 250gr of speculoos or speculoos crumbs and blitz them into a powder.

Weigh 50gr of vegan butter in a bowl and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at 600W.

The butter must be completely melted. If it is not, put it back in the microwave for a few more seconds.

Pour the 50gr of melted butter over the speculoos powder and mix everything together well using a spatula.

Get a 23.5 cm diameter springform pan.

For this type of preparation, it is always better to use a springform pan to make unmoulding easier.

Remove the removable base from the pan and place a sheet of baking paper on it.

Place the ring on the base of the pan and close it.

Using a pair of scissors, trim the excess baking paper.

For a clean unmoulding, line the inside of the pan with baking paper.

In our range, we have rolls of baking paper. They are very handy for lining pans like this one.

Since I find it tricky to get it to stay in place, I sprayed the inside of the ring with release spray so that the baking paper sticks. If you don't have release spray, a little softened butter will do the trick. ;-)

Once the pan is ready, pour the speculoos/butter mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Spread the mixture using a small offset spatula, then press it down firmly with the bottom of a glass.

Place everything in the freezer while we prepare the rest. This will allow the butter to set the biscuit base.

Cheesecake

To add a little fruit and freshness to our cheesecake, we are going to add cherries.

Pit 250gr of cherries and cut them into 4.

Mix the cherries with 40gr of sugar.

Spread the cherries over the biscuit base and put everything back in the freezer.

We will now prepare the cheesecake filling.

In a bowl, pour 1kg of silken tofu. Drain it well to remove all the liquid from the packaging.

Silken tofu is easily found in Coop or Migros stores. This type of tofu has a very interesting texture and is widely used in vegan baking as it has the advantage of replacing dairy products.

Add 150gr of sugar and 40gr of cornstarch.

Use measuring spoons to add the vanilla flavouring, you will need 2 tsp.

Then zest 2 lemons using a microplane grater. I love this grater, it's the tool to have in your kitchen. I use it in many savoury and sweet recipes. :-)

Preheat your oven to 180°C fan-assisted.

Now all that's left to do is blend our mixture to get a smooth consistency. :-) We have a hand blender in our online shop.

Then pour the mixture over the cherries.

Using a small offset spatula, smooth the cheesecake filling and bake it in the middle of the oven at 180°C fan-assisted for 1h.

Once the cheesecake is baked, let it cool for 1h at room temperature, then in the fridge for approximately 12 hours.

Cherry jelly

Once the cheesecake is well chilled, we are going to make the cherry jelly that will be used to top our cake and make it even more indulgent! Mmmh! :-)

Pit 250gr of cherries and cut them in half.

In a saucepan, pour the cherries and add 30gr of sugar.

Cook everything over medium heat, stirring occasionally so the cherries don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix with a spoon 1.5gr of pectin with 20gr of sugar.

To weigh the pectin precisely, use the spoon scale — it's great for weighing small quantities.

After about 5 minutes (this will depend on your hob), you will get a lovely cherry compote — make sure to keep some pieces. ;-) I think it's nice to leave chunks of cherries on top of the cheesecake.

Pour in the pectin/sugar mixture and stir for 2 minutes at a boil. The pectin must be brought to a boil in order to activate its gelling power.

Place your saucepan in the fridge for about 10 minutes so the jelly cools down slightly.

Pour the jelly over the cheesecake and spread it using a small offset spatula.

Place the cheesecake in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the jelly sets properly.

Once the jelly has set, we can move on to unmoulding.

Start by removing the ring, open it and take it off, then remove the strip of baking paper.

Carefully remove the base along with the baking paper and place the cheesecake on a pretty plate or serving board.

And there you have it, our cheesecake is ready to be enjoyed.

It will keep for about 2 days in the fridge in a well-sealed container.

I hope you enjoy this vegan cherry cheesecake recipe. :-)

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday, food lovers!

Sophie

P.S.: All the equipment used can be found at the bottom of the recipe.