Vegan Hazelnut & Chocolate Cheesecake

Super tasty Vegan Hazelnut Cheesecake with a thick and creamy chocolate layer on top.

Hey guys! How are you all doing? Apparently this time of the year is getting pretty challenging! The spring time seemed to arrive but another rush of cold weather came back to hit our country! On top of that, due to this emergency situation the italian government decided to adopt because of the virus I got lots of leisure time at home and I decided to invest part of my day creating new recipes, textures and flavors. It was a long time I wasn’t using hazelnuts, even though they are one of my favorite type of nuts because I was more into creamy fruity flavors. 

Hazelnuts are rich in unsaturated fats (mostly oleic acid), high in magnesium, calcium and vitamins B and E and they are also good for your heart, help reduce the risk of cancer, and aid in muscle, skin, bone, joint and digestive health. Plus the taste is something that takes me to another dimension! I decided to create a cheesecake without using tofu nor cashews. This is a no-bake cheesecake but you have just to cook the cream in the pot and then let it to set in the mold. If you love hazelnuts and chocolate this cake will make your day! Let’s try out the recipe:

Ingredients for 24 cm diameter cake mold:

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 liter whipping soy cream or coconut cream
• 1/2 cup of peeled hazelnuts
• 3 tablespoons of rice starch
• 1/2 cup of whole sugar
• 1 teaspoon of agar agar powder
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder

Ingredients for the filling cream:

• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks (without milk)
• 2 tablespoons of corn starch
• 2 tablespoons whole sugar
• 3/4 cup soy milk

WHAT TO DO

Line the cake mold with cling film. In a saucepan, heat up the soy or coconut cream. Before it reaches the boil, place it in the Vitamix together with all the ingredients listed for the bottom and blend till hazelnuts are completely dissolved. Transfert back into the saucepan and bring to a boil stirring with a whisk until it thickens. Put in the cake mold and then allow to cool.  Meanwhile in a saucepan melt the chocolate with half the amount of soy milk listed in the recipe for the top layer. Mix the cornstarch in the remaining part of the milk together with the other ingredients listed for the top layer and incorporate into the melted chocolate, stirring vigorously with a whisk until it thickens. Put on top of the bottom layer and let to cool down at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge for at least 12 hours. It should be consumed the next day otherwise it is still soft and not ready to be eaten.  Decorate with melted chocolate and pistachio chunks to create an eye-catching look. 

There we go! If you managed to wait a whole day before to indulge on the cake now be careful not to eat all of it at once but share if with few friends or family members. Keep in mind you should always keep cakes refrigerated covered with cling film and consume within 4 or maximum 5 days.

See you next week for another amazing recipe!