Strawberry Tofu 'cheesecake'

Strawberry Tofu 'cheesecake'

This is one recipe I’ve been really wanting to try since turning vegan, though my hesitation at the idea of using tofu has stopped me doing so all these years!

Finally, I convinced myself I might as well give it a go.

This worked out so well and it’s much less complicated than other recipes out there (especially ones using cashew nuts, which cost double or triple the price for unsalted ones in shops here as compared with the salted ones, and you can’t really use the salted ones for a ‘cheesecake’)

Base

1 packet biscuits crushed (we used Oaties - basically like Hobnobs)

3tbsp butter

2.5 tbsp golden syrup

Filling:

6 tbsp cornflour

3/4 cup sugar

1 block firm tofu (I guess you could use silken, but this works better for me I’ve found)

1/4 cup oil

1 tbsp vanilla essence

1 cup strawberries (fresh or canned - we used canned as they're soft and mix in easily)

1. Preheat oven to 200°. Make the base: crush the biscuits. Then add the butter and golden syrup.

Line a cake tin with baking paper and grease it. Put the base mix into it and press it evenly on the bottom. Put in the oven for about 15mins. (it may harden in the oven or when you take it out and let it cool. If it doesn’t harden when it cools, put it in again at 5-10min intervals until it does)

3. Make the filling: put all the ingredients in a blender. Pour the mixture in the blender over the cooled base.

4. Put in oven for about 30 mins or until very very slightly browned or feels firm enough to touch without being goo-ey.

When the top part was mixed it was indeed very runny – though after pouring it onto the base and popping it into the oven, and leaving it for a few hours in the fridge to chill it had really firmed up.

Such a delicious cake, as our non vegan friends agreed!