Blueberry Starfruit Cheesecake

Sometimes I'm in the mood for a classic cashew cheesecake....except....it needs to have a little something added to it. Do you ever get like that? In the mood for something that's a little more exciting than "plain" but not too over the top (and not complicated either)?

This blueberry starfruit cheesecake is for moments like that. It's got just enough going on in terms of swirly colors, sneaky spirulina added in, and fun star shaped topping to be interesting and flavorful, while still remaining very much a classic cashew cheesecake.

This cheesecake actually came about while I was experimenting with making a "raw beach cheesecake" -- a playful cake incorporating starfruit, colors of the sea, sand, etc. At the time I thought I would totally achieve a blue beachy vibe by adding some blueberries to the batter of my beach cake. To my surprise, the batter came out not blue at all -- but very, very purple. I had a lot to learn back then about natural food coloring :)

Long story short, if you want purple cheesecake, grab the blueberries. I darkened the purple here with some spirulina and love the almost maroon-purple contrasting with the seafoam green swirls in this cake... it kind of gives it a calming effect. Plus those starfruit slices on top look so playful and like they are somehow in constant motion.

And the most important part: this blueberry, starfruit, and spirulina cake is super delicious. None of the flavors in themselves are very prominent, but all together it makes for a lush, creamy, and very satisfying treat that has all the hallmark traits of a classic cashew cheesecake.

Note: this recipe makes a tiny cake. The cake pictured was made in a 4" pan, but the recipe calls for a 5" pan because later on I found overall it worked a bit better in a slightly larger size. If you're making an even larger cake though and need help multiplying the ingredients, see the downloadable cake multiplication helper further down the page.

Blueberry Starfruit Cheesecake

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• Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 5" cake
• Category: Cake
• Method: Raw
• Cuisine: Dessert

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Description

A delicious and playful raw cheesecake made with blueberries, starfruit, and a hint of spirulina. This recipe is vegan, gluten and grain-free, and refined sugar-free.

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Ingredients

Crust:

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 1 soft medjool date, pitted
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Filling:

• ½ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
• 1 starfruit, sliced
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp spirulina powder

Additional Blueberry Layer:

• 1 cup blueberries
• ½ tsp spirulina powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Optional Topping:

• a few additional starfruit slices

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Instructions

1. Process all crust ingredients in a food processor into a sticky crumble. Transfer to a 5" springform pan (or a small parchment lined tupperware container of a similar size) and press down into a flat crust. Freeze the pan while working on the next step.
2. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Blend all filling layer ingredients in a power blender into a smooth creamy mixture. Remove ½ a cup of this mixture out of the blender and set aside (this will be the teal swirl layer later).
3. Add additional blueberry layer ingredients to the blender and blend the mixture into a smooth consistency.
4. Add some of the blueberry mixture into the prepared cake pan, then a few tablespoon of the teal mixture, then more blueberry, etc. alternating. Reserve some of the teal mixture to spoon over the top middle of the cake. Use a skewer to swirl the two mixtures together lightly (don't over-mix though). Decorate with sliced starfruit on top.
5. Freeze the cake for 5-6 hours or overnight. Then thaw out slightly, slice and enjoy! Keep leftovers frozen.

Notes

*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.