Chocolate, almonds, caramel. That right there tells the whole story of this little cheesecake. Absolute perfection in a tiny dessert form, especially when it's very well-chilled.
You will notice I used extra dark chocolate. Because the cheesecake batter is very sweet, you do need that hit of that pleasant bitterness from the chocolate. Now, admittedly, that is a biased statement, as you know I love my chocolate very dark and bitter, but I would honestly recommend not using milk or even cooking chocolate, just to keep the balance of sweetness.
Date syrup is my preferred liquid sweetener these days, but pure maple syrup would work just as well, it all depends on what type of caramel flavour you prefer. Date syrup is also sticky, a lot stickier than maple syrup, so make sure you stir the liquid ingredients well before adding the almonds, because it can and will clump.
On a final note, if your batter seems too soft to you even after whipping with the double cream, do not hesitate to add a teaspoon of whipped cream stabiliser. Not all vegan cream cheeses are the same and not all vegan creams are the same. Some are inevitably with a higher water content and that can affect the final texture of the mousse.
And of course, by all means, feel free to use a slightly larger cake pan and adjust the baking time accordingly. That will give you a much more stable cheesecake, perfect for gifting and gatherings.
Ingredients
For the fudge brownie base
75 grams plain flour1/8 teaspoon baking soda
65 grams granulated sugar
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
45 grams vegan block butter
15 millilitres vegetable oil
40 millilitres water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
pinch of salt
For the vegan cheesecake
100 grams vegan cream cheese50 millilitres date syrup
60 grams extra dark chocolate (85%)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon soy milk powder
100 grams toasted almonds, finely ground
200 millilitres vegan double cream
Preparation
Start by making the brownie base. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line a small round cake pan (15 cm) with baking parchment. Take a saucepan and add in the sugar, cocoa powder, vegan butter, oil, water, flavourings, and salt, and place it over medium heat. Let everything melt together slowly. Once melted and hot, but not boiling, remove from the heat and quickly sift in the flour and the baking soda. Mix only until incorporated.
Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 12-15 minutes. Depending on your oven, the brownie might take a bit longer to bake through, so make sure to check with a toothpick early. Take it out of the oven, and let it cool completely in the pan.
Once the brownie base is cool to the touch, proceed to make the cheesecake.
To make the cheesecake, sift together the cocoa powder and soy milk powder, and set aside. Chop up the chocolate finely, add it to a small saucepan, add in the date syrup and vanilla, and melt everything together over low heat, making sure it does not come to a boil.
Once melted, remove from the heat and let it cool down, making sure it is still pourable. As soon as the chocolate is ready, add in the cream cheese and fold it through using a spatula. Add in the almonds, and mix and fold until mostly incorporated. In a separate large bowl, whip the vegan double cream until very soft peaks form. Add in the cream cheese mixture, and continue to whip on the highest speed until firm peaks form.
Remove the brownie base from the cake pan, place it on the serving platter, and close a cake ring around it. Add a tall strip of acetate and then add in the cheesecake batter in a few additions, making sure there aren't any air pockets. Place the platter in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Serve in thin slices with strong coffee. Yields 16 servings.
