This cake, touted by my husband as the ‘‘best cake I’ve ever made’’ and requested as her birthday cake by my grandma, is honestly one of the yummiest things that has ever come out of my oven. With a soft, crispy crust, and a light cheesecake-y filling, it is the perfect sweet-but-not-too-sweet treat. And surprisingly simple to make!
It has quickly become a staple at our house, with topping variations from macerated strawberries to sautéed apples loaded with cinnamon. So if you’re looking for an easy but super delicious cake, this is most definitely it!
Vanilla Blueberry Baked Cheesecake
Serves 6-8
For the base:
2 cups plain flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup vegan butter or margarine, softened
1-2 tbsp cold water, as needed
For the filling:
8.8 oz vegan cream cheese, soy or oat-based
12 oz extra-firm silken tofu
1/2 cup brown or coconut sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cornstrach or arrowroot flour
2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
1/3 cup plant milk
Blueberry topping:
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
To make the base, combine the flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Process a few times until well mixed. With the motor running, slowly add the cold water until the dough comes together and sticks when pressed between two fingers.
Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and press down to create a flat dough circle. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line the based of an 8-or 9-inch/22 cm springform tin with baking paper.
Remove dough from the fridge. Roll it out so it it a bit bigger than your baking tin. Transfer dough to prepared baking tin and press firmly up the sides and bottom. Place in the fridge until needed.
Make the filling by combining the cream cheese, silken tofu, sugar, lemon juice, cornstrach, vanilla and plant milk in a blender. Blend until very smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Pour into the prepared crust and tap lightly on the kitchen counter to release any air bubbles. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely, best overnight. The cheesecake filling will puff up quite a bit in the oven but it will deflate again as it cools.
When the cake is cool, make the blueberry topping by combining the blueberries, water, maple syrup and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Place on medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool.
Spread the blueberry mixture on top of cake. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
