Mango Float Cheezecake

MAKES ONE 23 CM (9 INCH) ROUND CAKE

‘Mango float’ is a Filipino dessert made with condensed milk, heavy cream, mangoes, sugary biscuits and sugar — lots and lots of refined white sugar. This version is a tribute to my food heritage, and stands as a glowing example that with raw food, you really can have your cake and eat it too… and not have to feel bad about it!

This is still one of the most popular cakes at Sadhana Kitchen, and also a winner with my family because it’s just like the mango floats we had growing up, but actually serves a nutritional purpose too. And doesn’t make the kiddies go crazy after eating it.

Walnut coconut base

80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) activated almonds

80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) activated cashew nuts

150 g (5½ oz/1½ cups) activated walnuts

90 g (3¼ oz/1 cup) finely desiccated coconut

360 g (12¾ oz/2 cups) pitted medjool dates

4 tablespoons coconut nectar

Creamy mango filling

620 g (1 lb 6 oz/4 cups) activated cashew nuts

90 g (3¼ oz/1 cup) finely desiccated coconut

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil

185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) coconut nectar

2 teaspoons vanilla powder

4 tablespoons non-GM soy lecithin

4 mango cheeks, skins removed

750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) filtered alkaline water

pinch of Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt

To serve

4 large mangoes, flesh cut into wedges

edible flowers, to garnish (optional)

• Process all the walnut coconut base ingredients in a food processor until well combined. The mixture should bind to itself when pressed together between your fingers. Reserve about 1 cup of the mixture, then press the rest into a 23 cm (9 inch) round spring-form cake tin.
• Put all the filling ingredients in a blender jug, mixing them with a spatula for easy blending. Blend on high speed until smooth, but for no more than 20 seconds at a time, so you don’t burn out the motor.
• Pour half the filling mixture over the base, then gently tap the cake tin on a hard surface to get rid of bubbles. Sprinkle with the reserved base mixture.
• Set in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
• Remove the cheezecake base from the freezer and pour the remaining filling mixture over the top. Leave to set in the fridge overnight, or in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
• If serving from the freezer, use a hot knife to ease the cheezecake out of the tin, then let the cake sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before plating. Just before serving, arrange the mango slices on top, and garnish with edible flowers if desired.
• Without the fresh mango topping and garnishes, the cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days, or can be frozen for several months.