Mike has been asking me to make a cheese cake for a while now. Unfortunately vegan cream cheese isn’t easily available here and I have to order it online. The other catch is that it is expensive. A 225g tub of Philadelphia like cream cheese costs 4.49€, it’s expensive stuff! I know a lot of people just use silken tofu but I like the cream cheese flavour this product gives. Anyway I bought some cream cheese and decided to make a chocolate cheesecake. I was going to try this recipe again before posting it but the more I ate of my cheesecake the more I liked it. I modified this recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking as I didn’t have and couldn’t afford the amount of vegan cream cheese required. To be honest though, the cake is so rich, I think a thinner layer of cheesecake is actually a plus (I know less cake = better, I must be nuts). It allowed you to enjoy a reasonable slice without it becoming too heavy. I also served this with Vegan Whipped Cream (that the online store sent me for free) which was a nice touch as it added a lightness and sweetness to the cake.
Did you know:
- Cheesecake was already a popular dish in ancient Greece before Romans adopted it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes. So Mike is not the only cheesecake fanatic who ever lived.
Ingredients
- 100g vegan cookies
- 1/4 cup melted vegan margarine
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 3 tsp egg replacer
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp dark chocolate spread (optional)
- 450g non-dairy cream cheese
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Directions
1. | Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly oil an 8 inch springform pan. |
2. | In a food processer crush the cookies until they resemble fine crumbs. Once crushed add the cocoa powder and stir through. Now add the melted butter until combined. Spread and press into the prepared springform pan. This makes just enough to cover the bottom of the pan so go slowly and gently to make sure the bottom is fully covered. |
3. | In a small bowl combine the egg replacer and water and whip until light and fluffy. I do this by hand but you could use an electric handheld beater. Set aside. |
4. | Melt the chocolate chips the way you like. You can use the microwave or a double broiler but I just bring a saucepan of water to the boil and place a heat proof bowl on top. Make sure the bowl does not get too hot. Stir until the chocolate is melted, then stir in the chocolate spread. |
5. | In a eclectic mixer bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, and egg replacer mix. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the edges when necessary. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla essence and blend thoroughly. |
| 6. | Pour on top of the prepared base. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the centre barely jiggles when tapped. You could bake it for a little less but I like the chewy crust that forms. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Transfer to a serving plate (I remove the sides of the pan), cover and place in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours. |
 | This recipe was modified from: The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. This post uses material from the Wikipedia article Cheesecake. |