This is a truly decadent cake which goes down an absolute treat with all who receive it!

Ingredients

Serves: 10-12

Cooking/Preparation time: 120 mins

Base

• 400g/14 oz vegan digestive biscuits (eg McVitie’s Light, some of the supermarket ‘free-from’ and own brands are vegan, check the ingredients first) (use GF if appropriate)

• 170g/¾ cup vegan margarine/spread

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Cake

• 100g/1 cup ground almonds

• 500g/4¼ cups vegan cream cheese (eg Bute Island, Tofutti, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Violife)

• 1 x 400ml tin/1½ cups plus 1 tbsp of coconut milk

• 150g/¾ cup caster sugar

• 6 tbsp plain flour, sieved (use GF if appropriate)

• 4 tbsp corn flour

• 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 150g/1 cup vegan white chocolate (eg IChoc, Organica, Sainsbury’s free-from)

• Pinch of salt

• 1-2 tsp vanilla paste or extract

• 1-2 tsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

• 100g/¾ cup raspberries (optional)

Topping

• 170g/1⅓ cups raspberries

• 2 tbsp raspberry jam

• 300g/2 cups icing sugar, sieved

• Selection of mixed berries and fresh mint for decoration (optional)

Method

Base

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150˚C/300˚F/Gas Mark 2.

2. Grease a loose bottom cake tin (approx. 20cm diameter and 7cm deep) with vegan spread.

3. Blend the digestives until fine or put in a clean tea towel and bash with a rolling pin until smooth.

4. Gently melt the margarine and coconut oil in a small saucepan on a low heat until fully dissolved. Combine thoroughly with the blended digestives in a large mixing bowl.

5. Empty the mixture into the greased cake tin and evenly distribute along the bottom, packing firmly with the back of a spoon or with your hands. Place in the fridge until you need it.

Cake

1. Thoroughly blend (using a food processor, blender or stick blender) the ground almonds, cream cheese, coconut milk, sugar, flour, cornflour, lemon juice, salt, vanilla paste and melted coconut oil until smooth.

2. Melt the white chocolate using a double boiler (a glass or ceramic bowl that fits on a saucepan of simmering water but doesn’t touch the bottom) and then pour immediately into the cake mix and blend again.

3. Take the base out of the fridge and pour the cake mix straight onto the base. Give it a bit of a shake to make sure the mixture is evenly distributed.

4. If you would like to add raspberries to the cake mix, push them evenly into the mixture until they are fully submerged.

5. Fill a deep baking tray with water (around 1 inch). If you are using a cake tin with a loose bottom, make sure it is really securely covered with foil before placing it into the water.

6. Also cover the top of the cake with foil.

7. Put the tray with the cake into the pre-heated oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.

8. When the cake is ready (it might be a bit wobbly in the middle and this is fine, it will set), take it out of the oven and leave it to cool for an hour before putting it into the fridge to set overnight.

Topping

1. Heat the raspberries and the jam on a low heat for 5 minutes until blended and smooth. Squish the raspberries against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon if they still remain whole.

2. Stir the sieved icing sugar into the pan and heat until fully dissolved.

3. Pass the sauce through a sieve and then pour it on the top of the cake until fully covered, top with berries (optional) and set for another hour.

Serve as it is or with vegan ice cream. Enjoy!

Maryanne Hall, Viva! Vegan Recipe Club www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk

Instagram: @veganrecipeclub