Seems like the time has come to say goodbye to summer once again. And as much as I am looking forward to fall’s lovely chill, I am a little bit sad. I’ve been known to complain about the heat here and there, but I love summer with all of its toasty carelessness, endless daylight, and bronzed shoulders.
Looking back, we can safely say that this summer turned out wonderfully. It started with an amazing trip to Paris, followed by this party, Paloma’s easy switch from daycare to a school, lots of cooking and photographing, and a few other projects that we are excited to share with you very soon.
And what better way to say goodbye than with a cake. We tried to dress this one up to look as bright and summery as it can. And the flavours – spearmint and chocolate – those are classic.
I’ve always felt a little uneasy about the richness of cashew-based cheesecakes, but absolutely everyone else is always very impressed by them, so maybe I should bite my tongue. Here, I tried to offset the slight heaviness of nuts with the abundance of fresh spearmint, fruits, and fluffy icing.
I made a simple chocolate crust with a stripe of chocolate between two layers of mint. The deep taste of cacao combined with the subtle notes of spearmint perfectly. I know that this is a much loved flavour combination, so I really wanted to do a post on it.
Let’s enjoy this one, and then say hello to autumn!
Spearmint and Chocolate Cheesecake
(For an 8 inch spring form)
Crust
1 3/4 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cacao nibs
1-2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder
3/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients until crumbly and sticky. Then evenly press the dough into the bottom of an 8 inch spring form.
Filling
Spearmint layers (1st and 3rd each)
2 cups raw cashews – soaked overnight
1/4 cup mint syrup (1 cup agave syrup, 2 cups fresh mint leaves blended together)
handful of fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup Artisana coconut butter
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except coconut butter, until smooth. Add the coconut butter and mix well. Pour into an 8-inch spring form, pressing with wet fingers, if needed to achieve an even layer. Repeat with the same amount for the third layer.
Second layer
Same as first, just leave mint and mint syrup out and add 3/4 cup raw cacao powder instead.
After assembling all the layers, refrigerate the cheesecake overnight. Then remove the spring form.
Icing
1 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup cashews
3/4 cup meat of young Thai coconut
2 tablespoons each light agave syrup
2 tablespoons raw honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
In a high speed blender, combine all ingredients until very smooth. Refrigerate until thickened.
Assembly
Spread the icing evenly on the top and sides of the cheesecake. Decorate with fresh mint leaves and fruits of your choice. Keep refrigerated and enjoy.
Unknown says
absolutely beautiful presentation! Love it!
Germaine says
wwwwoooooooowww this cake looks so yuuummmie :-)
Alicia says
Very creative and unique! : )
Zhenya says
it looks like an easy recipe! Will be my next to make!!! Thanks!!!!!!
Kasi Bern says
Yummy :)
Rosie Kourian says
Fantastic work – all of it! Photography & the cake itself… Stunning! You are an inspiration! Thank you for sharing!
Zori Ana says
That is it, i give in!!! making this STAT!!!!!
René says
nomnomnom
Wanda says
Looks amazing i’m sure it taste so too
Elenore (E) says
I could not have said it better myself! I´ll enjoy these beautiful summers pictures then turn around to face the glory of a terrific fall:)
celia says
Everything you make is just so amazing. Will you be opening a cafe soon? I hope so:)
Elizabeth says
Stunning!! A feast for the eyes. What a wonderful recipe you have shared. I bet it took a lot of love and time to create such a beautiful cake.
Peace & Raw Health,
Elizabeth
tara says
Looks fantastic, can’t wait to try this one!
Jennifer and Jaclyn @ sketch-free vegan says
omg! this is amazing!!!
Aparna says
Wow!
Raw Radiance says
klasna!
Nikita says
Looks so beautiful…any ideas how I can make fluffy icing without coconut meat as v hard to find here in north of uk! X
Jacqui* says
Going to have to have a go at this, looks truly beautiful thank you for sharing
Vanessa says
Ah, this is just beautiful!
Nataliya says
Incredible!
PureFreshDaily says
It’s really beautiful :-)
Stephenie says
amazing!
Norka says
…just adoring your recent recipes… :))
ernest says
golubka—why dont you publish all of your recipes as they appeared on this blog on BLURB? Im sure lots of people would be willing to buy a copy!
Happy Chef says
Most amazing flavor of cheesecake I’ve heard of, it really captures the essence of summer delicacies, along with the, as always, inspiring photo journalism. Beautiful post!
Alyssa says
just gorgeous!
April says
I love your pictures and your recipes! Don’t tell but I think you have one of my favorite blogs!
Faith says
I read your blog every time you put a new post up and just love your photos! Everything you make looks so delicious and I want to try it out myself. Unfortunately, I’ve never tried to do raw preparation and am afraid I will mess it up. Someday, I will be brave and try, haha!
Наталина says
Супер! Потрясающие фотографии и рецепты!
Pilar. Cook and spoon says
So colourful that reminds me of spring!
The Procrastobaker says
oh just beautiful as always :)
Jennifer says
i love your photos and i love this cake idea and the way you decorated it!
greetings from germany!
Laura says
Artisana coconut butter is one of my favourite things. I could eat it straight out of the jar every day of my life. And what a gorgeous cake! It looks like a stella mccartney dress from the last summer collection. Lovely :)
Coco says
this is one of the most beautiful raw cakes I have seen! You are always so creative with your presentation!
Golubka says
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments, everyone!
Ernest, thank you for your comment! We’ve thought about it, but not sure if self publishing is the right fit for us. Maybe sometime in the future, when we have the time to put together something we are really proud of :)
April, that means so much, thank you!
Faith, thank you! You could start with simpler recipes (raw brownies, for example) and then move on to more complicated ones. It’s not any scarier than frying or baking, I promise :)
Наталина, большое спасибо :)
Laura, I agree. I can eat it out of the jar just like some people eat Nutella. And thanks, that Stella collection was definitely in the back of our mind on this one.
Laura @ GotChocolate says
Gorgeous!!! VERY creative too!
Anonymous says
It looks delicious. However, we cannot get Artisana coconut butter where I live. What would you suggest as a replacement for it, if there is?
Adam Green says
http://adampaulgreen.com/
This recipe looks amazing! When my recipes call for “Chocolate chips,” I substitute them with “Xocai Healthy Chocolate.”
Their “chocolate” is full of “flavinols” and “Dark chocolate” has actually been proven to be good for you!
Because “Xocai” “cold presses” all their “cocoa,” the “good stuff” is preserved and packed full of “heart healthy antioxidants!”
~Adam Paul Green
http://mxi.myvoffice.com/cacaopow/