Baked Vegan Coconut Almond (Cheese)Cake
I remember when I found cake recipes made of tofu, rice, cheakpeas. I was very sceptic at the beginning. Once I started out trying these receptures I was suprised with the taste that was pleasing enough for me to continue this adventure. Regular baking is fine but I was seeking for more challenges. Something more than regular all-purpose flour and cheese. Especially with my diet limitations. I don’t know if I mentioed to you guys that my guts don’t tolerate a regular amount of all-purpose flour and dairy that people usually consume on daily basic. This is how I came up with these all crazy products combinations and vegan experiments. I proved mysefl that cake can be nutritious, sweet and pretty healthy I would say. Give it a try!
There is one more thing I’d love to tell you regarding rice in the recipe. I was inspired by one polish blogger that was fermenting rice and frying pancakes of it later. I came up with the idea to add fermented rice to my vegan cheesecake the other day and it was perfect! Fermented products always add desire kind of ”cheese” flavour. Rice itself is starchy and works very well blended and baked. Although in Europe we are not familiar with fermented rice I know that in Asia it’s pretty common. Hopefully you find this intresting.
Vegan Coconut (Cheese)Cake with Almond Crust
(Nut free, Gluten Free option)
Cuisine: VeganThis Vegan Coconut Cake is super easy to bake and will satisfy you cravings for something sweet. Thanks comibination of almond and vanilla extracts with coconut milk it resambles Rafaello or Marzipan taste.
I used 7-inch spring form pan.
Ingredients
- Crust
30 g sugar
100 g gluten-free flour mix of choice or all-purpose flour
30 g almond flakes
50 g butter (vegan option works too)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp milk (or more)
pinch of salt
- Cheesecake
200 ml rice (see Notes below)
180 g tofu (see Notes below)
1 can coconut milk (at least 80%) example
3 Tbsp corn starch
100 g sugar or less
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp apple vinegar (see Notes below)
pinch of salt
almond flakes to sprinkle all over the top
Directions
- Soak rice in water for a few hours or even 2 days untill first signs of fermentation appear like for example bubles, fermentation scent. Rice has to be softer after soaking to blend easly. You can use any type of rice you have available in your pantry.
- Preheat the oven 350 F. Mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and with your hands, work in butter pieces, extracts, milk until clumps form. Knead the dough until well formed but not too long. If the dough turns out sticky add some flour. If it’s too dry and not elastic add a little bit of milk. You can chill the dough in the refrigerator about 30 min or immediately press down into the springform pan (or different one). Prick it all over with a fork. Bake for 10 min. The bigger pan you have to lower cake will be and shortet baking time is needed.
- Blend all cheesecake ingredients with a food processor or blender until smooth. Batter will be runny. You can try it at this point and modify according to your taste preferences. If you like more sweet cakes add sweetener of choice. You can also add more extracts or sour ingredients which elevate cheese like taste and boost overall taste eg. sourdough starter or leftovers, apple vinegar, lime juice. Pour the cheesecake into the pan with the crust. Sprinkle with almond flakes. Bake around 40-50 minutes in 350 F until the center of the cheesecake sets.
- To avoid cracking on the top of the cheesecake I saw suggestions to either tap it a few times on the work surface (it releases air bubbles) before baking or bake the cake with baking form filled with water (lower rack with the baking form filled with water and medium rack with cheesecake). Once you see your cheesecake is set on the top, turn off the oven and you can leave it inside for an additional couple of minutes (~10 min). Take it out, let cool down before slicing.
Notes
- Keep you ingredients for cheesecake in room temperature so it will be easier to blend them into smooth texture.
- Each type of rice migh yield in a bit different texture and flavour of baked cake. I used jasmine rice which has long grains and specific sweet fragrant. Don’t be afraid of using another rice.
- I used Firm and Extra firm tofu. If you got soft one, probably you shoud add one more tablespoon of starch to the batter.
- My apple vinegar is delicate in taste so I added 2 Tbsp. If yours is super rine, sour and intense in flavour you could ass less 1-1,5 Tbsp. Freshly blended batter has to be a triffle sour.
