Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake (Gluten, Dairy & Refined Sugar Free)

This week we celebrated my daughter, Daisy's, 19th birthday. :)  Aren't birthdays wonderful?  I love the gathering of family and friends, the reminiscing about when they were little and the opportunity to say all the things we don't say often enough.  My kids are all amazing and I am so blessed to be their mum. 
Daisy is a very health conscious young lady so was quite happy for me to make her a birthday cake without sugar, dairy or grains.  She has recently gone vegan, so the challenge was to make a cake without eggs.  Thank goodness for cashew cheesecake!
If you haven't tried it, soaked cashews blended in a food processor or blender are SO creamy and delicious, you could be fooled and think you're eating dairy.  Since Daisy LOVES peanut butter, we decided that should be the main focus of her cake.
This cake is very big and serves heaps of people.  It's very rich so you only need small pieces.  Seven of us didn't even eat half of one. (and we like our cake!)
Yes, I know peanuts aren't Paleo.  Please substitute any other nut butter if you don't eat peanuts. :)

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooling time: overnight

Serves: 14


Ingredients:
For the base:

15 Easy Chocolate Cookies

¼ cup coconut oil (melted)

For the middle:
3 cups cashews (soaked 6 or more hours)
1 cup coconut milk
1+1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey

For the top:
1/4 cup cacao butter
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
3 Tablespoons cacao powder
1 cup coconut cream

To decorate:
roasted peanuts

Instructions:
First, make the base: 

• Grind the chocolate cookies in a food processor until fine.  Add the melted coconut oil and process until mixture sticks together.  Add another tablespoon of coconut oil if you need to.   
• Press the crumbs into the base of a 21cm springform tin, lined with baking paper.  If you don’t have a springform tin, just line your tin with plastic wrap so you can remove it easily.   

 To make the middle layer: 

 Drain the cashews well.  Put all of the filling ingredients into a high speed blender or processor and process until smooth. 

• You will need to use the tamper if you have one and regularly scrape down the sides to make sure all the ingredients are blended together.  Keep processing until it is super smooth.  Lots of taste testing needed for this step!
• Once the mixture is smooth, scrape it all into your pan, on top of the base mixture.  Spread it out with a spatula.
  

To make the chocolate layer:

• Melt the cacao butter and coconut oil and mix in the cacao powder until dissolved.  
• Stir through the honey and coconut cream.
• Spread on top of the cake.

• Cover with plastic wrap, then put into the freezer overnight to set.
• When ready to serve, take cheesecake from the freezer and defrost for around 30 minutes to soften slightly before cutting. 
• Decorate with the roasted peanuts.
• Yum! 

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