strawberry cheesecake

+ + +   + + +

SERVES: 8

PREPARATION: 10 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling

COOKING: 2 minutes

FOR THE BASE

80 g (2¾ oz) rolled (porridge) oats

80 g (2¾ oz/¾ cup) almond meal

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons agave nectar

1 pinch salt

FOR THE FILLING

450 g (1 lb) silken tofu, drained

200 ml (7 fl oz) coconut cream (the thick layer at the top of an unshaken tin of Thai coconut milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

4 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

1 tablespoon icing (confectioners’) sugar, shifted, for dusting

300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) strawberries, hulled and halved

Put the oats in a food processor and blitz to a flour-like consistency. Add the remaining base ingredients and blitz again until combined. Tip into a 20 cm (8 inch) round or 35 x 11 cm (14 x 4¼ inch) springform cake tin and press evenly into the base using the back of a spoon. Chill.

Meanwhile, beat together all the filling ingredients except the icing sugar and strawberries, until thick and creamy. Spread over the cheesecake base, smoothing the top with a spatula. Chill for at least 2 hours in the tin.

Just before serving, carefully distribute the strawberries on top of the cheesecake and dust with the icing sugar. Release the cheesecake from the tin and serve.