Raw meyer lemon and Raspberry "cheesecake" with raspberry-chambord sauce

Today is my boyfriend's birthday, and I wanted to make him something special. Since he is gluten, dairy, egg, and soy free, baking was not really an option. But I was determined to have a birthday cake! This cake is raw, with the exception of the vanilla extract and raspberry liquor I added for flavor. If you are really concerned with having a 100% raw cake, you can easily substitute vanilla bean for the vanilla extract and omit the Chambord, but I highly recommend both for the added flavors they lend to the cake. Definitely give this cake a try! You won't regret it, and you won't feel guilty while eating it. You can easily half the recipe for a smaller cake. This made quite a large cake.

What you'll need:

Recipe adapted from My New Roots

Yield: 1 9-inch cheesecake; serves 8-12

For the Crust:

• 1 cup soft Medjool dates
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 1/3 cup raw pecan meal 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

For the Cheese Layer:

• 3 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 2/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted
• 2/3 cup raw honey
• Juice and zest of 4 Meyer lemons
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (use vanilla bean if going 100% raw)
• 2 cups raspberries
• 2 tsp Chambord or raspberry extract (omit if going 100% raw)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 

For the Raspberry Sauce

• 1 cup raspberries
• 1/3 cup raw honey or agave
• 2 tsp Chambord (omit if going 100% raw)

What to do:

 1. Soak the cashews overnight or for at least 8 hours!! If you skip this step, say goodbye to your cheesecake. 

2.  Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Place all crust ingredients (pecan meal, walnuts, dates, and salt) in food processor and pulse until a dough forms. Spread the crust dough evenly across the bottom of the pan.

3. In a small saucepan on low, heat the coconut oil and honey. Whisk until the two liquids come together.

4. Place all of the cheese filling layer ingredients (EXCEPT the raspberries and chambord) in a food processor. Process until a smooth cream forms, about 3 minutes or so depending on the strength of your food processor. Pour about 3/4 of the mixture into the cheesecake pan and spread evenly. Leave the remainder of the mixture in the food processor.

**If you'd like to pipe some icing on the cake, reserve some of the white layer before adding raspberries. Place in a piping bag, and then place icing in the refrigerator until thick enough to pipe. 

4. To the remaining ingredients, add the raspberries and 2 teaspoons Chambord. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture over the white layer in the cheesecake pan, and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Place cake in freezer overnight or until frozen. Pipe icing once the cake is frozen, and place back in the freezer.

5. To make the sauce, combine one cup raspberries, 1/3 cup honey and 2 teaspoons of Chambord in the food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer to a squeeze bottle for easy decorating.

6. Remove  cake from freezer 1 hour prior to serving so it can soften a bit. Serve with raspberry sauce and enjoy!