Chocolate Persimmon Cheesecake

Two persimmon cheesecake recipes in a row? Well, what else can you expect when they're so abundant and delicious :) and make such tasty cakes. Figured better get one more in before the season for these lovely fruit is over (always a sad day for me, since they are one of my favorite fruits).

In this cake the persimmon gives it a lovely creaminess and warm fruity notes, and it pairs so well with the smooth and rich flavor of raw cacao. Makes a lovely and simple sweet treat, with some subtle 70s vibes to it :)

Oh and I do recommend using raw cacao powder for this one, as opposed to cocoa powder (unless you have a marked preference for the latter...). It deepens the flavor more richly.

And of course I also recommend using persimmons that are ripe and flavorful. By ripe I mean a bit soft and translucent-like on the inside. I know some non-astringent persimmon varieties can be eaten firm, but for best flavor here let them ripen up first. A perfectly ripe persimmon is always a thing worth waiting for!

A quick note on cake size:

The recipe below is for a 5″ cake. If you’d like to size this cake recipe up or down based on your pan size or needs, there’s a handy downloadable cake re-sizing guide at the bottom of this page below the recipe that you can refer to.

Note that this cake is a very small batch recipe if followed as written. This small size recipe works well if you have an older Vitamix blender model (which is what I use), which handles small quantities of ingredients with ease. If you have a larger blender pitcher (new low profile Vitamix or a Blendtec, etc.) you’ll need to increase the ingredients and cake size to a 6″ cake for things to blend through properly and smoothly.

About the chocolate swirl mixture:

When you make the chocolate swirl mixture and use it to create lovely swirls to accent your cake, note that you will have some of the chocolate mixture left in the end (you just can't blend a smaller quantity properly together in the blender otherwise). I recommend eating the remaining mixture with a spoon, perhaps even adding a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon to make it a little treat on the side ;D

Chocolate Persimmon Cheesecake

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5 from 2 reviews

Creamy and sweet no-bake vegan cheesecake, with the warming notes of persimmon and the smooth taste of chocolate. Gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free.

• Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 5" Cake
• Category: Cheesecake
• Method: No-Bake / Raw
• Cuisine: Vegan, Dessert
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

*Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before getting started*

Chocolate Crust

• ¹⁄₂ cup walnuts
• 2 soft medjool dates, pitted
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/ 16 teaspoon salt

Persimmon Filling

• ¹⁄₂ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained**
• 1 small ripe persimmon (115gr total without the top)***
• 3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted or softened
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¹⁄₄ + ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• 1/16 tsp turmeric powder (for color)

Chocolate Swirls

• 2 tbsp of the persimmon filling
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder

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Instructions

1. Process all crust ingredients in a food processor into a sticky fine crumble. Transfer the mixture into a 5″ springform pan and press down into an even crust along the base. Freeze while working on next step.
2. Blend all persimmon filling ingredients in a power blender into a smooth consistency. Transfer most of this mixture into the pan over the prepared crust, leaving about 2 tablespoon of it behind in the blender for the next step. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to even out the mixture.
3. Add the remaining chocolate swirl ingredients into the blender and blend briefly to combine. Use a cake decorating pen tool (or just drizzle with a spoon) to decorate the top of the cake. You can create free-flowing swirls or designs of your choice.****
4. Freeze for 5-6 hours to set. Thaw out on the counter for 10 minutes or so and enjoy! (Keep leftovers frozen*****).

Notes

*It’s important all ingredients are at room temperature before getting started, especially for the filling. This is because when coconut oil touches cold stuff it solidifies, which if happens inside your blender or food processor would mean that the mixtures aren’t going to get mixed through evenly and can end up chunky or poorly blended. So make sure things like maple syrup or almond milk, etc. are brought to room temperature first.

** To pre-soak nuts: place in a glass bowl, cover with water, and leave to soak for 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge). Then strain and discard the water. For a quick pre-soak, cover with boiled water and soak for 15 mins, then strain and discard water. (Note: this technique doesn’t preserve the nutrition of the recipe as well as the traditional soaking technique above). Additional Note: the purpose of soaking the nuts is to re-hydrate them and plump them up for blending into a smooth, cheesecake-like consistency. Proper soaking techniques also maximize nutrition and digestibility. If you’re interested in learning more about nut soaking and other dessert prep tips and tricks, I delve into these subjects in detail in my book Unconventional Treats.

***The persimmon should be ripe and a little soft and translucent, otherwise its flavor will not be as prominent in the cake.

**** To get the design pictured here you need to pipe out dots of the chocolate mixture in a spiral form, radiating out from the center of the cake, slightly spaced apart. Then use a skewer and drag it through the dots, starting with the dot in the center of the cake and moving outwards in one solid motion, running the skewer through all the dots as you go along to connect them. If you need a video tutorial of this, there's one that comes along in the video bundle with my book Unconventional Treats.

*****Treat this cake like ice cream — it’s a dessert that will melt if left out at room temperature too long. Store any leftovers in the freezer.