The Creamiest Tofu Cheesecake in the World
Submitted by renee182
A silky tofu cheesecake blending pureed silken tofu with cream cheese on an almond graham cracker crust. Lighter than traditional cheesecake but impossibly creamy after an overnight chill.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
10 hrsThis cheesecake pulls off a neat trick: it sneaks a full pound of silken tofu into the filling and nobody will ever guess.
The tofu gets pureed until completely smooth, then blended with cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Arrowroot holds it all together instead of the usual heavy flour or cornstarch.
The crust is a buttery mix of graham cracker crumbs and finely ground almonds that adds a nutty depth you don’t get from a standard base.
Bake it, let it cool slowly in the oven, then refrigerate overnight. That patience pays off with a texture that’s unbelievably smooth and creamy.
Kitchen Tips
- The overnight refrigeration is not optional. The cheesecake reaches its full creamy potential only after 8 hours of chilling
- Let the cake cool gradually in the turned-off oven for a full hour after baking. This prevents cracking across the top
- Use a springform pan for easy removal. Run a thin knife around the edges before unlatching
- Silken tofu, not firm tofu, is essential here. Firm tofu will give you a grainy texture instead of that velvety smoothness
Ingredients
Directions
The butter or margarine is to be melted.
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
For the crust, in a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the ground almonds and sweetener.
With a fork, blend the butter, spread or margarine into the mixture until it clings together when you press a teaspoon of it between your fingers.
Turn the mixture into a 8-inch springform pan.
With your fingers or the back of a soup spoon, spread and pat the crust until it covers the bottom of the pan.
Keep working the crust up the sides of the pan to a height of about 1 inch, leaving it thicker around the bottom edge, where the sides and bottom of the pan meet.
Make sure the crust is thinner around the top edge.
Bake the crust 8 minutes.
Set aside to cool slightly.
For the filling, purée the tofu in a food processor.
Add the cream cheese and process to blend.
Add the sugar and eggs and process to incorporate them completely.
Blend in the lemon juice and vanilla.
Finally, blend in the arrowroot.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust, filling it to within ½-inch of the top.
Bake in the center of the oven for 60 minutes.
The cake will be golden on top, slightly browned around the edges, and still puffed and jiggling in the center.
Turn off the heat but leave the cake sitting in the oven for 60 minutes.
(It is ok to peek quickly once or twice.)
The warm cake will still be just soft to the touch in the center.
Set the cake on a rack and let cool to room temperature.
Cover the cake lightly with foil and refrigerate overnight before serving.
Notes: The cake will taste delicious once it is chilled through, but only reaches full creaminess after being refrigerated 8 hours, or overnight.
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