Baked Vegan Black Forest Cheesecake

I’ve been determined to make the most of cherries this season so I’ve been thinking of some traditional cherry recipes that most people love and I couldn’t go past a Black Forest cake! I decided to make a baked cheesecake as opposed to a traditional cake because I’m just generally more confident with vegan cheesecakes and I wanted to make sure I could pull it off!

The result was an extremely decadent cheesecake with no funny coconut after taste (because I didn’t use coconut) and a really yummy dark chocolate crust. I will admit that the cake was a little intimidating, I struggled a little with the recipe and also with styling this cake for the photos! It didn’t come out completely perfect but it was still so good I just had to share the recipe! I used my new deep dish baking tin for the first time and unfortunately, the very top of the crust did get a little bit overcooked and the base of the cheesecake got a little soggy especially after the first few days. Next time I’m going to try freezing the cake to see if it helps halt some of the sogginess.

I love using silken tofu in my baked vegan cheesecakes as I love the hormone balancing aspects of good quality soy as well as the fact that it doesn’t impart a strong taste (like coconut) but if you avoid soy products then you can use about 1 cups worth any vegan yoghurt you like instead.

I used frozen cherries for this cake because I find them a lot easier to deal with when cooking/ baking. I love that they come already pitted (pitting cherries is a nightmare) and I love that they are available all year round so I can enjoy cherries whenever! They’re not the same as fresh, so they aren’t very good for snacking on, but they are a really great alternative that’s a lot better than the sugar-laden canned cherry varieties. I was a little concerned that because this was a baked cheesecake the frozen cherries would completely disintegrate and turn to mush, but after a bit of research, I found that frozen cherries keep their shape really well! In fact, they are very tough and can be difficult to soften if you’re trying to make a pie etc. In my case I wanted the cherries to keep their shape so was quite happy with the result (even if they made my base a little soggy over time)

If you have been following me for a while you will know that my recipes are not very precise and they tend to lean more towards rustic than perfect. That’s mostly because I’m not a perfectionist and I prefer keeping my recipes as simple and health promoting as possible even if they aren’t perfect. So although this cheesecake isn’t a perfect replica of a traditional Black Forest cheesecake it’s still absolutely delicious (I prefer it over the real deal) and full of good for you nutrients!

I’m not sure how many people know that cherries are one of the top foods to help balance hormones. Cherries are a really good source of melatonin which helps us sleep better at night! They are a great addition to the diet for people that suffer from insomnia. Cherries also contain a lot of nutrients that are great for brain health as well as helping balance thyroid and adrenal hormones. When I was struggling with my low progesterone, my anxiety meant that I would often find it very difficult to fall asleep. I also had frequent nightmares at certain times of the month and remember having nights where I would be terrified of not being able to sleep, especially if I had a full days work the day after! I don’t think I ate enough cherries to help me with my issues (mostly because they are not in season long enough) and even if I did they’re not a quick fix solution, but they are a delicious addition alongside many other hormone balancing foods. I absolutely love cherries so was very excited to find out they’re so great for our hormones. Combining them with good quality soy from tofu and cacao powder and dates like I have in this vegan Black Forest cake is a nutrient powerhouse for balancing hormones.

This recipe is gluten free, refined sugar free and has no coconut. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Happy hormone balancing!