[Here’s a visually impressive and truly decadent-tasting dessert to wow your guests. Marbled Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake is also vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free and yeast-free. Suitable for Stage 3 and beyond on an anti-candida diet.]
As I’ve mentioned before, my mom was a prodigious baker, and I pretty much learned how to bake at her elbow from the time I could stand and watch her at work at the kitchen counter. The flour would fly, the eggs would crack, the milk would slosh, and, if I was patient enough, eventually I got to lick the bowl–and the beaters. (They were worth waiting for).
Every Saturday evening, my parents played cards with a group of friends, who rotated hosting the evening. When it was my mom’s turn to host, my sisters and I would eagerly await the mid-evening break when “cake and coffee” was served and we could unobtrusively duck into the kitchen and snatch a few treats off the serving plates. Baked goods might include anything from cookies to her famous chiffon cake to coffee cake or danish. (Never pie. Mom never did manage to master a flaky pie crust).
On occasion, when she was feeling particularly energetic or it was a special occasion, she ventured to make a cheesecake. On those nights, I was always bitterly disappointed, as I hated cheesecake and that meant I didn’t get to snack along with my sisters.
What’s that, you say? Hated cheesecake? What the heck was wrong with you, child?
It’s true. Until my late 20s or early 30s, I loathed the dense, rich, creamy base. I found it cloyingly sweet, and it left a thick, pasty patina on the roof of my mouth that I found intensely unappealing. Go figure. Who knew I’d grow up to adore cheesecake, often serving elaborate flavors (cookie dough, amaretto chocolate chip, caramel apple, Caramilk, or candy cane, to name just a few) during the Decade of the Dinner Party? I can only thank the power of maturing taste buds for this shift in affection that has allowed me to appreciate the wonders of cheesecake ever since!
Given my adult penchant for cheesecake, I was naturally distraught to think that I might never again enjoy one of the sweet, smooth, creamy cakes once I embarked on the anti-candida diet. But I need not have worried. It didn’t take long before I was experimenting in the kitchen and managed to come up with several vegan, sugar-free, egg-free and dairy-free versions of my own that rivaled the cheesecakes of old.
This Marbled Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake was designed to reproduce the same rich, thick, smooth and creamy texture of a New York style baked cheesecake rather than one of the airy, fluffy cheesecakes that are more mousse-like. I love being able to cut into a piece of cake with substance!
The chocolate marble is made from contrasting cheesecake batter rather than a syrup or melted chocolate within the cake. So you won’t miss a single bite of that decadent, cheesy filling.
If you love cheesecake–or even if you think you don’t–you want to give this beauty a try. It’s worth the time for a special occasion. Oh, and worth the wait to lick those beaters, too.
Marbled Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
If you’re looking for a special occasion dessert to really “wow” your guests, this is the one! It reqires a bit of planning, but once you’re done, you’ll have a dense, decadent and rich-tasting cheesecake that no one will know isn’t “the real thing.” (If you’re not a fan of tofu, don’t worry; there is NO HINT of tofu flavor in this once it’s baked). Plus, pumpkin + chocolate together!
For the crust:
1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut sugar or xylitol
2 Tbsp (30 ml) water
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
20-30 drops plain or vanilla stevia liquid, to your taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil, preferably organic, melted (use refined if you prefer no coconut flavor)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) finely ground flax seeds
2 Tbsp (30 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp (190 ml) Ricki’s all purpose gluten free flour (or any gluten-free all purpose flour that measures one-for-one with wheat flour)
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) xanthan gum (use corn-free if allergic)
For the cheesecake filling:
1 cup raw cashews, dry, or 1/2 cup (120 ml) natural smooth cashew butter
1 pkg (12 oz or 375 g) aseptically sealed firm silken tofu (I use Mori-Nu), NOT the kind refrigerated in water
3/4 cup (180 ml) coconut sugar or xylitol
30-40 drops plain, vanilla or English Toffee pure liquid stevia, to your taste (if using xylitol, English Toffee works best)
3 Tbsp (45 ml) coconut butter (not coconut oil), melted
1-1/3 cups (320 ml) unsweetened pumpkin puree (be sure it’s just pumpkin; not pie filling)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) organic cornstarch or arrowroot powder
2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) allspice
1/4 tsp (1 ml) nutmeg
1 tsp (5 ml) ground ginger
1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp (30 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
2 Tbsp (30 ml) yacon syrup or coconut nectar
Prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 350F (180 C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) round springform pan or pie plate with parchment, or spray with non-stick spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, water, vanilla and stevia until the sugar dissolves. Add the coconut oil and whisk again to blend (it may curdle a bit; this is okay). Mix in the flax seeds.
In a medium bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, sea salt and xanthan gum. Add the wet ingredients and stir to blend (it will be a soft and slightly sticky dough). Spread or pat the dough into the pan to cover the bottom. Place in the refrigerator to firm up while you prepare the filling.
Prepare the filling: Place the cashews, tofu, coconut sugar, coconut butter, pumpkin, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, salt, lemon juice and vanilla in a high-powered blender and blend until silky smooth (you may need to use the tamper to push the ingredients down into the blades; scrape blender sides a few times to ensure that everything is mixed in.). The mixture will be thick.
Remove 3/4 cup (180 ml) of the pumpkin mixture to a small bowl and stir in the cocoa and yacon syrup. Set aside.
Pre-bake the crust: remove the crust from the refrigerator. Once cold, the crust should firm up (if it isn’t quite cold yet, return to the fridge for 10 minutes or so, until it is firm). Bake the empty crust in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until it’s dry on top and starting to puff a bit. Remove from the oven.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the partially baked crust. Using a tablespoon, place blobs of the chocolate mixture on top of the pumpkin base, leaving some parts uncovered. Use a dull knife or thin spatula to marble the two batters by drawing figure 8’s gently through the mixture (take care not to cut the crust underneath).
Wearing oven mitts (the pie pan will still be HOT!), grab the pan with one hand on each side and quickly rotate the pan to the left, then the right several times to help flatten out the surface of the cheesecake. Place the cake back in the oven and continue to bake for 45-55 minutes, rotating the pan once about halfway through, until the top is well browned and the sides just begin to pull away from the pan. A tester inserted about 1/3 of the way toward the center should come out clean.
Allow to cool completely before covering and refrigerating 6 hours or up to 24 hours before serving. Top with coconut whipped cream if desired. Makes 8 servings. May be frozen.
Suitable for: ACD Stage 3 and beyond; refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, yeast-free, vegan.
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Hi! I'm Ricki, cookbook author, professional recipe developer, holistic nutritionist and anti-candida crusader. Let me show you how easy it is to eat plant-based, sugar-free, gluten free food that tastes great! 
Your welcome!
And thanks to you for all you do!!!!
Have a great day with you and yours!!!
Donna
Thanks so much, Donna! xo 😀
Can you suggest a good substitute for silken tofu? Unfortunately I’m allergic to soy
Unfortunately, in this recipe, the tofu is essential, so I don’t know of a substitute. Switching out the tofu would change the texture too much and it wouldn’t be “cheesecake” any more. You could try a raw cashew cheesecake instead, which would also be delicious, though. Here’s one recipe. 🙂
Wow, this sounds amazing! I love that marbled look too. It really amps up the elegant factor.
Thanks so much, Cadry! And it’s really simple to do. . .but yeah, it’s one of those visually impressive desserts. 🙂
This is a STUNNING dessert, Ricki! I’m making my holiday cooking list and this just made the cut! 🙂
Yay! So glad you like it, JL. It’s in my long-time “faves” list, too. Oh, and CHEESECAKE! 😛