I acquired a bunch of absolutely delicious granadillas the other week, and besides munching on them through the day decided to put them to an alternate use with this cake. The result was lovely. Perfect for when you're in the mood for a (raw vegan) cheesecake with a hint of something tropical. And so joyful looking too thanks to the lovely yellow hue -- a "happy vibes" cake through-and-through!
In case you're not familiar with granadillas, they are in the passion fruit family. Their flavor is less tangy and much sweeter than passion fruit, but still full of that burst of refreshing tropical flavor and a tasty light crunch thanks to the seeds.
I used some lovely purple fresh flowers from my friend's garden. I'm not sure what they're called and don't believe they're edible, but the vibrant purple contrast with the joyful yellows of the cake was too pretty to resist :)
I topped my cake with some chopped macadamia nuts that I had lying around, but in retrospect their flavor was a bit too strong, so in the recipe below I recommend using some chopped cashews instead, which are a bit more mellow and harmonize with the cake a bit better.
Last but not least, I had the thought that next time I make this cake I will fold in some more granadilla pulp into the layers (in step 4, I would just throw in bits of it here and there throughout the batter). I had only thought of doing that when I ran out of extra granadillas for that step, and the store that sold them was waaaay too far of a drive. But sharing the idea anyways because if you like the taste of this lovely fruit, you might appreciate an even stronger presence of it.
Enjoy, and hope this sweet cake brings some happy vibes into your day :)
Raw Granadilla Cheesecake
This vibrant raw vegan granadilla cheesecake has a lovely hint of tropical sweetness. This recipe is gluten-free, paleo, and refined sugar-free.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6" cake
- Category: dessert
- Cuisine: raw
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 soft medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Light Layer Filling:
- 120 gr ripe mango flesh*
- 120 gr granadilla pulp**
- ½ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained**
- 6 tbsp maple syrup (or raw agave for raw sweetener)
- 6 tbsp coconut oil, liquefied
- 5 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Yellow Filling Layer:
- (half of the light filling layer)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
Toppings:
- some chopped raw cashews
- 30 gr granadilla pulp****
- optional: fresh flowers
Instructions
- Process all crust ingredients into a fine sticky crumble in a food processor. Transfer to a 6" springform pan and press down into an even crust along the base. Freeze while working on the next step /
- Blend all light layer filling ingredients together into a smooth and creamy consistency in a power blender. Remove half of this filling into a bowl and set aside.
- Add the turmeric from the yellow filling layer to the remaining light mixture in the blender and blend to combine.
- Spoon in some of the light filling layer over the center of the prepared crust in the pan. Then spoon in some of the yellow mixture into the center of the white filling layer in the pan. Then repeat the process with the white mixture, then yellow.. Continue alternating until you run out of mixture. tap the pan on the counter to smooth out the top and release some of the air bubbles.
- Sprinkle some chopped cashews around the top of the cake (these form a perimeter around the granadilla filling that's going to go into the center). Place the granadilla pulp for the topping into a small blender and process very briefly just to break it up into a more runny mixture (just a second or two). Pour this mixture into the center of the cake and spread it out with the back of a spoon to fill the center up to the cashews.
- Freeze the cake for 5-6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, remove from pan and allow to thaw out a little (10-15 mins) to soften. Decorate with fresh flowers, slice and serve. Keep leftovers Frozen.*****
Notes
*I used two ataulfo mangos.
**I used the pulp from 2 large granadillas for the filling.
****To pre-soak cashews: 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). 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.
****I used the pulp from ½ a large granadilla for the topping.
******Storage notes: treat this cake as you would ice cream. If left at room temperature it will begin to slowly melt as it thaws, so best to keep it frozen until serving time and give it a light thawing on the counter as needed. Once served, freeze the leftovers to enjoy later.
Keywords: granadilla vegan cheesecake
Lissette says
Hi Audrey,
I can no longer have coconut oil due to the high saturated fat content. Can I use sunflower lecithin as a replacement in most of your raw cake recipes? Is yes, would you sub 1.1 ratio?
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hey Lissette. I don't think it will work in this case since the coconut oil is what helps the cake solidify when chilled -- something that's not quite a property of lecithin. I do have tons of cakes that are "oil-free" (many are "coconut-free" as well). I'd suggest maybe having a look at them as a base for coconut-oil free baking in this style -- it'll give you a better feel for what ingredients work for your needs. If it's just coconut oil that's problematic, while other fats are fine, you can try cacao butter in some recipes as an alternative -- it adds a chocolate flavor and fragrance though, so just keep that in mind to see if it pairs well in the cake you want to sub it into.
You can find the oil-free / coconut-free recipes here: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/ -- select the appropriate tabs mid way through the page to filter out the results (i.e. choosing "oil-free" + "cake" as an example).
Johanna says
Do you think to pair orange with mango would be a good idea?... though I grew up eating granadillas I'm not able to find them where I live (NorCal). I read the comments about exchanging it with passion fruit but my mind went to the orange blossom water that I already have instead of the granadilla. Does that sound worth trying or do you have any other suggestions?
Audrey says
Hi Johanna. That sounds like a combo worthy of trying for sure :) If you go for it, I'd love to hear how it turned out for you.
Lissette says
Can I use passion fruit instead? Also did you leave the seeds in the cake or strain them out?
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Lissette, yes, passionfruit would work just fine here too. Just use a bit more as it's often a bit smaller than granadilla. I didn't strain the seeds out as they just blended right into the cake with the Vitamix.
Lina says
Oh my God!!!! this recipe is absolutely delicious
Thank you for sharing it
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Lina. I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)
Mila says
Hi Audrey! Could I use avocados instead of the mangos? thanks in advance:)
Audrey says
You can, however, keep in mind that you'll lose the mango flavor in the cake as well as some of the sweetness + the color of the cake will be different. So basically it'll be experimental -- but if you're feeling like playing around with the recipe, why not :)
alexia says
hi is it possible to make without coconut oil ?
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Alexia. I'm not sure if you're asking because you're trying to avoid oil or coconuts.
If you're just trying to avoid oil, you can try substituting the coconut oil in the filling here with coconut cream (the firm white stuff from the top of a chilled can of full fat coconut milk), and then just omit it from the base mixture and use a bit extra maple syrup instead.
If you're trying to avoid coconut, you can try using some cacao butter instead of the coconut oil, though that will add a chocolatey flavor. You can use a bit less of it, so can probably get away with 4-5 tbsp. Alternatively have a look on the recipes page here: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/ and select "cake" and "coconut-free" (or "oil-free") at the top to see other recipes that might work better for you.
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
My favorite part of a raw vegan cheesecake is ALWAYS the crust. The exception is if the filling is also nutty and crunchy! Anyhow, this granadilla cake looks to die for--I adore passion fruit, so I can't imagine the granadilla tasting terribly!
Audrey says
No way?! The crust, really? I love that. I'm more of a filling person, but good to know there are crust-lovers out there :D
Marc Bell says
This has to be THE best cheesecake of all time.
WOW.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much :)