Cake of the Day: Blackberry & Rose Cheesecake from ‘Nourish: Mind, Body & Soul’
They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today, friends Amber Rose, Sadie Frost, and Holly Davidson, share a cake that will nourish your body and soul from their book Nourish: Mind, Body & Soul.
Blackberry & Rose Cheesecake (Photo: David Loftus)
Blackberry & Rose Cheesecake with Flowers
Serves 12
This is a super fresh and decadent frozen cheesecake, a bit like an ice cream cake but healthy for you. It’s easy to put together and really refreshing on a hot summer’s evening for an outside dinner party. The crust is wonderfully chewy and nutty and the yogurt topping is everything it should be: fruity, fragrant, and creamy.
For the crust:
2 cups blanched almonds
1⁄3 cup sunflower seeds
12 fresh medjool dates, pitted
Zest of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons raw coconut oil
Hearty pinch of sea salt
For the filling:
11⁄3 cups blackberries
2⁄3 cup blueberries
Juice of ½ lemon
½ cup raw honey
21/2 cups Greek yogurt or
thick coconut yogurt
1 teaspoon rose water
For the topping:
13/4 cups blackberries
2⁄3 cup blueberries
Flowers to decorate, preferably purple ones, (must be unsprayed) (eg. Sweet peas, rose petals, lavender, cornflowers, violas)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the almonds and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 6–8 minutes, or until they are starting to color a little and smell nutty. Remove from the oven and let
cool a little.
Pour the nuts into a food processor and pulse just enough to chop them but do not let them become powdered. Add the dates, lemon zest, coconut oil, and a pinch of salt and process again until the mix comes together and you have a lovely looking sticky mixture. Scrape the mixture into an 8 in nonstick, loose-bottomed cake pan and press it flat, but don’t squish it. Place in the fridge to chill and set.
Purée the blackberries and blueberries in the food processor along with the lemon juice and honey. Scrape the mix into a large bowl and add the yogurt. Fold everything together until completely combined.
Spoon the topping over the chilled base and smooth it evenly using the back of a spoon. Put in the freezer and let it set for at least 3–4 hours. It needs to be frozen almost completely. The very middle is nice if it still has a bit of a wobble, but as it has no gelatin, it will not hold if it’s not frozen. If you have frozen it overnight, move it to the fridge for half an hour before serving.
When you are ready to serve, simply bring the cheesecake out of the freezer (or fridge) and carefully unmold from the pan. Decorate with the extra berries and lots of petals.
Reprinted with permission from Nourish: Mind, Body & Soul by Amber Rose, Sadie Frost, and Holly Davidson (Kyle Books).
More healthy cakes to try this New Year:
Raw Cheesecake from ‘Everyday Detox’
