Strawberry Tofu Amazake Cheesecake

Asako
Apr 25, 2019
2 min read

Updated: May 30

This dairy-free dessert uses amazake, a traditional Japanese fermented rice drink, to add gentle sweetness without refined sugar. Combined with creamy tofu, fresh strawberries, and a whole wheat crust, this cake is both nourishing and satisfying. It’s also enriched with kudzu (arrowroot) for a silky, custard-like texture. A drizzle of fresh strawberry sauce brings it all together. I created this recipe for Japanese magazine "Naturopathy."

Ingredients:

<Serves: 7-8-inch cake pan>

For the crust:

1 cup whole wheat flour

A pinch of salt

3 tbsp raw honey

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp (or more) unsweetened almond milk

For the strawberry tofu filling:

450g soft tofu (pressed for at least 30 minutes)

1/2 cup brown rice amazake (or white rice amazake)

A pinch of salt

1 tbsp tahini or olive oil

1 cup strawberries, washed and hulled

30g kudzu (or arrowroot powder)

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

For the strawberry sauce:

1 cup strawberries, washed and hulled

1 tbsp raw honey

5–6 strawberries, sliced, for topping

Preparations:

Press the tofu to remove excess water for at least 30 minutes. Place a clean dishcloth or paper towel on a cutting board, top with tofu, cover with another cloth, and weigh it down with a plate or bowl.
Preheat oven to 350°F/185°C.

Ingredients:

Make the crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
In another bowl, whisk honey and olive oil, then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
Add almond milk a little at time if the dough feels too dry.
Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a cake pan and bake for 15 minutes. Let it cool.

Make the filling. Blend strawberries in a food processor until smooth.

Strawberry Tofu Amazake Cheesecake
Strawberry Tofu Amazake Cheesecake
In a small pot, mix the strawberry purée with kudzu and whisk well to dissolve.
In a food processor, blend the tofu, amazake, tahini or olive oil, and salt until very smooth.
Pour the tofu mixture into the pot with strawberry purée and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens and begins to bubble.
Strawberry Tofu Amazake Cheesecake
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and zest.

Strawberry Tofu Amazake Cheesecake
Pour the filling over the baked crust and chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, or until set.
Make the strawberry sauce. Blend strawberries and honey in a food processor until smooth.
Serve the chilled cheesecake with the strawberry sauce and fresh sliced strawberries on top.