Cheeseless Cheesecake

Here is a recipe I made up this week, taking a recipe for white chocolate raspberry cheesecake and making it my own by modifying and "veganizing" it (quite successfully):

1) Make crust with graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted Earth Balance butter. I am never exact with measurements here as I eyeball the quantity - enough to coat the pan (use a springform if you have one) - and mix with melted butter thoroughly to stick properly to the sides. It should be golden and slightly moist to reach optimal crust when baked; too dry and it will flake away. I have used Earth Balance many times and no one ever knows it's not butter!

2) With electric mixer on medium speed, beat approx. 2 1/2 (8 oz.) containers Tofutti cream cheese (the original called for two packages fat free cream cheese and one 1/3 less fat, but I found with the tofu-based consistency this was sufficient) until creamy. Add cup of sugar, dash each of vanilla extract and Grand Marnier, and some Amaretto for extra flavor. I then grated in some orange zest and stirred in about 5 oz. melted white chocolate - the original recipe I referenced calls for 3 oz. but that's not enough in my opinion - not authentically vegan and can be omitted for those going totally dairy-free. Blend until smooth.

3) Add two eggs, one at a time (or egg replacer if desired) - though the non-vegan recipe uses three eggs I found two to be perfect for this cake.

4) I scattered frozen raspberries around the inside of the crust-lined dish and poured the batter over it, so that each piece would have raspberries embedded inside.

5) Bake at 325 degrees for at least an hour - test by jiggling it - in a water bath of about an inch of water in the large pan with the cake set inside. This was my first attempt at the water bath method, as I've made countless cheesecakes without it but was never brave enough to take "the plunge," and I am proud to report that this cake came out really well, with a smooth, perfect top that I let cool for six hours to prevent an ugly crack from forming. Then refrigerate for another night and by the next evening it's ready to serve.


*Note this must be made in advance to achieve classic cheesecake consistency (and it really does, I promise!)