With its ginger-spiced crunchy base and super-smooth filling of cashew nuts, coconut cream and dairy-free cream cheese, this cheesecake is perfect for vegans at Shavuot. Remember to add the whipped cream just before you serve so it’s at its freshest!


Method

• For the base: grease a 20cm (8in) round, loose-based, deep cake tin with the dairy free butter or margarine. Place the biscuits in a blender or food processor and blend until crumb-like or place them in a food bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
  

• Put the crushed biscuits in a bowl and pour over the melted butter or margarine. Mix until it resembles wet sand. Using a measuring cup, or your fingers, press the mixture into the lined tin and up the sides, making sure it’s compacted (this will help prevent it from crumbling when removing it from the tin). Refrigerate the tin while you make the filling. Add a little more melted butter or margarine if the biscuit base is too crumbly.

• For the filling: drain and rinse the cashew nuts and place in a food processor or blender, with the coconut cream, cream cheese, ginger biscuits and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy — you may have to scrape down the sides of the blender a few times to make sure everything gets fully incorporated.

• Pour the filling over the base and level with a spoon or spatula. Tap the tin on the worktop a few times to remove any air bubbles. Freeze the cheesecake for 2 hours and refrigerate for 4–6 hours or overnight to set. Decorate just before serving with whipped cream stars and crumbled ginger biscuits, if using.

• Store in a sealed container in the fridge. Best eaten with 2 days.
  
  Adapted from ‘The Little Book of Vegan Bakes’ (Ebury Press)