Classic(ish) New York Cheesecake
This recipe is an adaptation of Lauren Toyota’s baked cheesecake. It’s a great base recipe for all different flavor variations, but can hold its own as an elegantly simple classic New York cheesecake.
NOTE: The ingredient quantities below are designed for a 7” springform pan. Use 1.5x quantities for a larger 9” cheesecake; use 0.67x quantities for a 5” mini cheesecake.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Soak cashews in boiled water for 20+ minutes. While cashews are soaking:
Add oats, sugar, salt, and cinnamon (if using) to food processor. Process on high until oats are a coarse flour. Add melted butter and process on low for a few seconds until wet sand mixture forms. If mixture is too dry to hold together when pressed, add another 1 T butter.
Prepare springform pan by inserting sheet of parchment between bottom plate and ring before clamping ring tight. Tear off excess.
Press crust mixture into bottom of pan and up sides. Be patient! Aim for an even layer on the bottom, take extra care to press hard into the corner between the bottom and sides, and don’t worry about getting a straight line around the sides -- the rustic crust looks great once baked.
Drain and rinse cashews and add to high speed blender with remaining filling ingredients. Process until completely smooth. Pour filling into crust and tap to release air bubbles and level surface.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until edges are golden and center is no longer liquid. Surface may crack, and center may appear slightly soft.
Cool on the counter, then transfer to refrigerator to chill overnight.
Ingredients
Crust
1 C rolled oats
⅓ C coconut sugar (or loosely packed brown sugar)
3 T vegan butter, melted
½ t salt (omit if using Earth Balance butter)
Optional: ¾ t cinnamon
Filling
1 C raw unsalted cashews
1 C silken tofu
1 C vegan cream cheese
⅔ C white sugar
1 t vanilla extract
¼ C lemon juice
1 t lemon zest
Optional: ⅓ C berries
