Vegan Chocolate Salted Caramel ‘Cheesecake’

Sweet buttery biscuit base, chocolate ‘cheesecake’ with grated chocolate, caramel & berry topping. Irrelevant that it’s vegan, it’s simply delicious.

Mmm cheesecake. My love of cheesecake goes way back, and it’s been one of those things I really accepted I would never eat again. Let alone a chocolate cheesecake – the king of all the cheesecakes. However, this has revolutionised my dessert repertoire.

I would just say – if you’re screamish about vegan ingredients – don’t read the ingredients (or any more of this blurb!) and do a blind taste test. That’s what my brother and his girlfriend did to me, and I have to say… I’m not sure I would have tasted with an open mind if they told me it was made with tofu!! It really is silly though to be put off by an ingredient that really is very healthy and the perfect vehicle to a dairy free cheesecake. It doesn’t taste funky, I promise!

I have done a vegan cheesecake before, which relied on being frozen. There are also a lot of other vegan cheesecake recipes out there that ask you to soak nuts and then blend them, or cook them. This recipe is far, far, far more simple! And that was a big part of its appeal. Just tip the tofu out of the packet, add melted chocolate, orange zest and syrup and away you go. With just an hour or so in the fridge, it sets and slices well. Just like a cheesecake should.

Serves 8-10. Takes 30 minutes, plus baking and chilling time.

Ingredients:

• Biscuit base:
• 200g dairy free digestives biscuits (After a lot of searching, I finally found that Waitrose own brand digestives are dairy free and egg free, and vegan friendly!)
• 110g dairy free butter, plus extra for greasing
• Salted Caramel:
• A note about the caramel. I’ve tried it two different ways; as a layer on the bottom and drizzled generously on top. Although I loved it as a layer, it did start to seep out and made the base a little soggy on the second day. If you plan on polishing it off in one sitting, then make it a layer. If not, then drizzle generously on top and add more when you serve. Or – you can opt to leave the caramel out entirely. I mean… I don’t know why you would – but the option is there!
• 200g white caster sugar
• 60g dairy free butter
• 70ml soya milk
• 1/2 – 1 tsp salt (according to taste)
• Cheesecake topping:
• 100g dark chocolate
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 x 349 pack silken firm tofu
• Zest of 1/2 orange
• Decoration:
• 20g chocolate, grated
• Fresh raspberries, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180 c and grease either a fluted tart tin or 8 inch loose bottom cake tin with dairy free butter.
2. Melt the dairy free butter for the base. Meanwhile, in a food bag, bash the digestive biscuits with a rolling pin until they resemble bread crumbs.
3. Mix the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter, and then firmly press a thin layer into the base tin – and edges of the tin is using the fluted tart tin.
4. Prick the base all over with a fork and then bake for 10 minutes until golden. Leave to completely cool.
5. OPTIONAL: Make the caramel – as soon as the sugar starts to melt, wear oven gloves when stirring the caramel – sugar burns. In a thick bottomed sauce pan add the sugar and gently heat, stirring occasionally. When the sugar has all melted, turn the heat up slightly and wait until the sugar turns a medium amber colour. It should only just start to smoke, before adding the dairy free butter.
6. Beat the butter in to the caramel and once melted, add the soya milk and salt to taste. Take off the heat and leave to cool.
7. Make the cheesecake filling; melt the chocolate with the golden syrup. Leave to cool for a few moments, then put into a food processor along with the tofu and orange zest. Blend, stopping and wiping down the sides, until completely smooth and no lumps of tofu remain.
8. Assemble the cheesecake; in the cooled base, pour in a thin layer of caramel (if using), and then spread the chocolate cheesecake mixture on top. Top with grated chocolate and drizzles of caramel sauce.
9. Cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. Keeps well for 2 – 3 days covered in the fridge.