We are heading for the end of summer and that makes me feel sad especially that the weather has been a bit of a washout over here this year. Before zucchini season inevitably gives way to pumpkin season, I decided to make fudgy vegan zucchini cake with cheesecake swirls.
This vegan zucchini cake with cheesecake swirls is easy to put together and delicious. It’s decadently chocolatey and fudgy, topped with a tangy and creamy cheesecake layer for a bit of a relief.
I had a bit of a dilemma as to what to call this recipe as it seems to straddle two baking categories. The edge pieces could pass for a cake as while moist, they are still very much cake-like, but by the time you make your way towards the middle of the tray, the chocolate layer gets fudgy and dense and feels more like a fudgy brownie.
Given that there are people out there who like their brownies more cakey, I thought that this cake-brownie could be perfect to satisfy two types of brownie lovers – those who prefer fudgy get to have the middle pieces and those who prefer cakey, can eat around the edge 😉 but despite inherent fudginess, I still think this bake is a cake rather than a brownie. And if you want an actual recipe for cheesecake topped vegan brownie recipe, here it is.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
CASHEWS: Raw cashews form the base of the cheesecake layer. Soak them in boiling water for 30 minutes or in cold water overnight to soften, drain, rinse and they are ready to blend.
VEGAN BUTTER: Cheesecake is all about creaminess so a small amount of vegan butter helps to achieve lusciously creamy texture. There is no need to melt your vegan butter, simply add it to the blender as is. If you don’t have vegan butter, use coconut oil (fragrance free ideally) instead.
LEMON: I used a generous amount of lemon juice to give the cashew layer a bit of a classic cheesecake tang. I also added some lemon zest to to the cheesecake layer to make it more lemony. Orange zest is also beautiful, especially against all that chocolate underneath.
ZUCCHINI: Zucchini or courgette (which is what it tends to be called in the UK) adds moistness to the chocolate layer. All you need to do is to grate it coarsely and add it to the cake batter as is, no need to squeeze any of its moisture out.
VEGETABLE OIL: A small amount of vegetable oil keeps this cake fluffy and moist at the same time. I use grapeseed oil, but any other neutral tasting oil will work just well. If using olive oil, use a mild variety as you don’t want its flavour to come through.
SUGAR: In the cake, you could use any sugar you have – I went for a 50% light brown sugar and 50% caster sugar. In the cheesecake layer, I recommend using caster sugar as it’s white which means that that layer will stay white and very small, which means it will dissolve easily during baking.
FLOUR: I used plain flour for the regular version and a combination of a good gluten-free flour mix and a touch of xanthan gum for the gluten-free version.
COCOA POWDER: The chocolate layer gets uber chocolatey thanks to cocoa powder and some chopped dark chocolate. Use unsweetened natural cocoa powder, which comes into a chemical reaction with baking soda to give these brownies a bit of an extra lift.
DARK CHOCOLATE: I added chunks of dark chocolate to the cake layer for even more indulgence. You can skip this addition if you wish but at your peril 😉 .
BAKING AGENTS: I used a combination baking powder and baking soda (they are not the same) to give this cake just enough of a lift.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) WHIZZ UP CHEESECAKE LAYER
Place all of the cheesecake ingredients in a small blender and blend until super smooth.
2) COMBINE WET INGREDIENTS
Grate zucchini into a large mixing bowl, add remaining wet ingredients and mix until homogenous.
3) SIFT IN DRY INGREDIENTS
Sift in dry ingredients, mix gently until uniform batter forms.
4) TRANSFER TO A TIN
Reserve about three quarter cup of the cake batter and transfer the rest of it into the prepared tin. Top with cheesecake layer, making sure it reaches all the way to the edges.
5) SWIRL & BAKE
Dollop reserved batter on top of the cheesecake layer and create decorative swirls, using a chopstick. Bake for 30 minutes.
- 130 g / 1 cup cashews, soaked
- 25 g / 2 tbsp vegan butter (no need to melt)
- 65 g / 1/3 caster sugar
- 80 ml / 1/3 cup plant milk
- 60 ml / ¼ cup lemon juice + zest of ½ lemon
- zest of ½ orange (optional)
- 10 ml / 2 tsp vanilla extract
CAKE WET INGREDIENTS
- 240 g / 8.5 oz small zucchini / courgette
- 80 ml / 1/3 cup mild tasting oil or melted vegan block
- 250 g / 1¼ cup sugar
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp water
CAKE DRY INGREDIENTS
- 50 g / ½ cup cocoa powder
- 210 g / 1¾ cups all purpose white flour or GF flour mix
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp xanthan gum (only if using GF flour mix)
- 50 g / 1.75 oz dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (optional)
- Place all of the cheesecake ingredients in a small blender. Blend until silky smooth. Set aside.
CAKE
- Heat up the oven to 180° C / 355° F. Line the bottom of a 20 cm / 8 inch square cake tin with a piece of parchment paper and grease the sides.
- Grate zucchini coarsely into a large mixing bowl.
- To the zucchini add oil, sugar and water. Mix very well.
- Place a sieve over the mixing bowl and sift in cocoa powder, flour, both baking agents and salt. If using GF flour mix that does not contain xanthan gum, I recommend adding it too.
- Using a spatula, start incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet ones by making small circles in the middle of the bowl first (to minimise lumps), gradually extending the circles to incorporate more and more flour. Be slow and gentle.
- Stir in chocolate chunks if using.
- Hold back ¾ cup of the cake batter, transfer the rest into the prepared baking tin.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture on top so that it covers the entire cake. Dollop leftover batter on top of the cheesecake mixture and use a toothpick to create shallow swirls on the surface.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the oven and allow it to cool down before refrigerating for a few hours or overnight – it will cut neater. Keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.