If you've ever been curious about adding a little flower power to your cake to give it that extra-special factor, I've got just the cake for you to experiment with. The beautiful flavor of lavender, the delicate and subdued lilac hue, and the creamy highlights of chocolate and pistachio make this an extra special treat.
Of course you could make this cake for a celebration, or for that someone in your life who loves lavender (you know someone right?!), or just for when you're feeling like getting adventurous with flavors :)
Lavender is something I use quite often when I bake goodies for myself. I also love drying and storing my own lavender from the beautiful bushes that grow near home. Something about harvesting it from scratch made me fall in love with all things lavender.
But hey, it's not a flavor for everyone, and can sometimes come across as strange or intense for someone unfamiliar with lavender in baked goods. I wanted to make this raw cake for someone who has never tried lavender in a dessert before, so I went easy on the lavender, but if you're a big lavender lover, then feel free to increase the amount to taste. Just note that the flavor will intensify a touch as the cake sets.
While the lavender taste here is light, it's still quite noticeable. Usually lavender is paired with lemon or blueberries, etc. in baked goods. I also love it with earl grey. But I didn't add a lot of other flavors to the recipe, not even lemon juice, to make it stand out more for its own unique and beautiful flavor.
The slight bit of maqui powder inhere is mostly to supply the pretty purple tint to the cake. You can read more about maqui and why I love using it, as well as check out another favorite cake of mine with it here.
In a pinch though, you can add a nice purple by using some blueberries instead, which will add a different shade of purple. As a bonus, blueberries pair well with lavender, so it's a winning combo either way. But maqui is always my personal favorite way to purple.
As usual lately, this recipe is for a small 4″ cake. Triple (thinner) or quadruple (taller) for a 6″ if you prefer. Note, if you have a low-profile blender, you might have to increase the cake size. I make these small cakes using my Vitamix, but I know for those that upgraded to the newer low-profile models blending small batches for raw cakes can be a challenge. I explain a bit more about it on my baking resources page.
P.S. For tips on making raw cakes like a pro, check out my book Unconventional Treats.
PrintMaqui Lavender Raw Cheesecake
This raw cheesecake combines the brilliant flavor of lavender with the beautiful purple hues of maqui berry. This recipe is raw, vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 4" cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Crust:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 soft medjool date, pitted
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp maqui berry powder
Filling:
- ½ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (or agave)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, liquefied
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1-2 teaspoon maqui berry powder**
- 1 tsp culinary dried lavender
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp raw ground vanilla bean (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
Optional Toppings:
- Cacao nibs, chocolate bits, chopped pistachio nuts, culinary dried lavender buds
Instructions
- Process all crust ingredients, except maple syrup, in a food processor until a sticky crumble is formed. Add maple syrup and process again to combine. Transfer the mixture into a 4" springform pan and press to form a crust along the base and a bit up the edges all around. Place the pan in the freezer while working on the next step.
- Blend all filling ingredients in a power blender until completely smooth. Pour this mixture into the pan over the crust. Smooth out the top. Decorate with toppings.
- Freeze for 5 hours or overnight. Thaw out a touch and enjoy! Keep leftovers frozen.
Notes
*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.
**In the cake pictured I used only 1 teaspoon maqui for a lighter color, but feel free to increase the amount to 2, and even 3 teaspoon if you like a darker colored-cake and a more pronounced maqui flavor.
Margaret Phillips says
there must be an error in this recipe The 1/2 cup of cashews & 2TBSp almond milk does not make very much filling. Mine came out like a chocolate covered cracker.
Please let me know what the real recipe is.
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Audrey says
Hi Margaret, this is the real recipe. It's a 4" cake. If you want to size it up, you can see the downloadable recipe conversion chart available below the recipe. A 4" springform cake pan can only hold about a cup and a half of ingredients in total...
What cake pan size did you use?
Kate says
Delicious recipe! Bravo! I would like to make it for a friend but they are allergic to everything coconut Would there be any sub for coconut oil? Thank you!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Kate. Thanks so much :) I'm glad you like the recipe. You can exclude the coconut oil from the crust (add a touch more maple syrup instead), and then for the filling can try using cacao butter instead of coconut oil -- you can use a bit less of it, like a tbsp and a half since it chills firmer than coconut oil and has a stronger flavor. It'll add a chocolatey taste to the cake, but I think that would work well with the flavors here. Alternatively I have number of coconut-free cake recipes on the blog which you can find here: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/ (click on "cake" and "coconut-free" at the top) in case you need more ideas.
Helena Rae Boelcke says
If you're wondering if you can replace the dried lavender with lavender oil - don't! I had to add an extra cup of coconut milk, lemon juice, and soy yogurt (ran outta cashews) to balance out the 1/8 tsp of lavender I added...and it's still strong! Going to get some dried lavender and make this again (correctly) for an upcoming art show - it's such an aesthetic cake!!!
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Kat says
Hi Audrey! Could I sub acai powder for maqui powder with similar results you think? Love your work -- that eggless custard and the jade balls were both mega hits! Thank you for sharing your artistry with us!
Kat
Audrey says
Hi Kat. I'm glad you're enjoying the recipes :) And yes, acai or other berry powders should work well here.
farina says
amazing recipe...really unique - elegant yet tasty. wonderful.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks very much, Farina. So happy you liked it :)
Johan says
Wow I am just drooling over these beautiful pictures. I have just recently made my first raw vegan chocolate cake for my blog and I absolutely loved it.
I cannot wait to try this, I have never used lavender in a recipe before.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks very much, Joahn. Congrats on starting your blog. Lavender and chocolate go well together by the way :)
Kelly Mahan says
WOW, this lavender cheesecake looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing the recipe, I'll definitely try making it myself!
Audrey says
Thanks Kelly, enjoy it :)
Wanda says
Beautiful recipe, yum
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Wanda! :)
Cassie says
Lavender is such a beautiful plant--it's one of my favorites! This recipe looks absolutely delicious--I would love to try it!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Cassie! :)
Ashley says
So beautiful! You're the Queen of flowers in raw deserts!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Ashley -- *blushing* ?