Vegan Almost Raw Tropical Cheesecake

Raw desserts are a bit of a passion of mine at the moment. They are magical. This (almost raw) cheesecake I whipped up yesterday is creamy, fruity and heavenly. 

Calling this cheesecake "tropical" is probably a bit of poetic license on my part (especially as I remember myself chucking random fruits into my blender whilst tasting the mixture), but I think the combination of pineapple, banana and coconut really do create a tropical taste! 

I made this based on ingredients I had on hand and wanted to use up, but you could easily play around with it to make it raw. 

Peter and Lexie loved this cake, but unfortunately Sylvia refused to try it. Must remember to call it an "ice cream cake" next time I make it, and maybe throw some coloured sprinkles in!

Vegan Almost Raw Tropical Cheesecake (adapted from Pineapple Coconut Cheesecake Bites)

Base
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup soft medjool dates, packed
pinch of salt
1-2 tbsp shredded coconut for "flouring"

Filling
2 cups cashews, soaked for a few hours
2/3 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup (scant) rice milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp rice malt syrup
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1 large banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Combine ingredients for the base except for the shredded coconut in a food processor until it clumps when squeezed together. Scatter the shredded coconut into a pie dish or round cake pan to "flour" it. Press the mixture into the dish.

Combine all filling ingredients together in a blender until really smooth (this will take a while depending on the speed of your blender). Pour the mixture onto the base and freeze for about 2 hours.

I think this cheesecake tastes best when it's a bit soft, so if it has been in the freezer for longer than two hours or so I would defrost it a bit before eating it.