Does the chocolate cheesecake NEED cocao butter?

[Missrawdiva]

Last week I got a recipe off of here for chocolate cheesecake. One of the ingrediants were raw cocao butter. I see that it is expensive. Is there anyway to make the cheesecake w/out it? Does it taste the same or is the a key ingrediant?? If so I will break down and get it. Also, how do you heat it up to melt? In hot water the same as coconut oil??? Other than the cheesecake, what other uses do you put raw cocao butter in.

[luvmyfruit]

Can you put the recipe here so I can see it to tell you?

[rawpriestess]

you could try coconut oil, it won't have the same consistancy as coconut oil will melt at a much lower temperature, and doesn't have the same flavor, but it is about the same consistancy.

but I find it is about the same cost, althouhg much easier to find, as you can find it in pretty much any HFS

[tvillemom]

So, if I get this right, if I use coconut butter, my pie will stay firm maybe with just refrigeration? I hate to have to keep my pies frozen, I would like a "chilled" pie.....and a chocolate cheesecake would be awesome.....
Wendi

[Missrawdiva]

Here is the recipe:

Filling:

2 cups cashews, soaked 1 hour or more
¼ cup agave nectar
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup water
¼ cup cacao butter, melted
¼ cup coconut butter, melted
1-2 teaspoons coffee extract (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup cocoa powder
1 10oz package frozen cherries, thawed

Blend everything together except for the cocoa powder and cherries until completely smooth. At this point, if your blender can take it, blend in the cocoa powder. Otherwise scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl and whisk the cocoa powder in by hand. Hand mix in the thawed cherries. If you want to make a sauce out of the cherries, either set some aside or use an additional package.
I dont know how made this recipe.. but PLEASE tell me if you use coconut butter, what is the purpose of the cocao butter?? Is it for taste or consistancy??

[Missrawdiva]

Where I am confused is that the recipe calls for coconut butter AND cocao butter.. that is why I was wondering the purpose of the cocao butter, since the coconut butter will make it hard.

[sbaker]

i wanted to make this too....i dont have any cocoa butter either, and its impossible to find here. I'd have to order it and its not on "the list" so everytime i see this cake im like...oh that looks good...oh nevermind...haha. so let us know how i t turns out if you try it! i have a bag of organic cherries in the freezer right now dying to get out!

[BlueKiss]

I am finding that cacao butter has a much better stabalizing consistancy for all desserts. It is so funny how better armed I am as I journey and learn new raw recipes this time around. I love being raw now because the recipes are so awesome! I am crazy for chocolate and cocao butter makes all the difference in the world. I know it is a bit difficult to find...but hidden treasures are worth the hunt:)

[Sharon in Colorado]

i wanted to make this too....i dont have any cocoa butter either, and its impossible to find here. I'd have to order it and its not on "the list" so everytime i see this cake im like...oh that looks good...oh nevermind...haha. so let us know how i t turns out if you try it! i have a bag of organic cherries in the freezer right now dying to get out!

Vitamin Cottage carries cocoa butter. It's located in the cosmetic section, it's the 100% pure cocoa butter, which is food grade.

[tvillemom]

So, does cocoa butter make it firm without freezing it, or is the cocoa butter just for taste? I would like a NON FROZEN firm pie!
Wendi

[tvillemom]

Bringing this back up. I really want to know if adding cacao butter will help "firm" up a pie without freezing it. If not, what does.....a friend suggested arrowroot powder....how about pysillium powder??? or is that pysillium husk??? OR....????? I want a firm pie without the freezer!
Wendi

[Sheryl]

Cacao butter is solid at room temperature (unless you live in the tropics and it's hot). So it does a much better job at keeping cakes solid at room temperature (you can easily serve them solid out of the fridge). If you're making it twice try doing all cacao butter (replace the coconut oil too). I'm thinking that 1/4 cup of cacao butter is not enough.

I switched my recipes for cheesecakes over to cacao butter a year or two ago. And the difference in taste and texture is well worth the extra $.

Enjoy,
Sheryl

[tvillemom]

OK....so how much is in say a pound of cacao butter, I mean cup-wise. If I knew how many CUPS I could get in a lb. I might could justify the $30! That is alot for me to spend, when it's a luxury food, and not a NECESSITY! Thanks...even though it's tempting, it will be hard to spend the $$$ on it. :o
Wendi

[Sheryl]

Well with water 250 g makes one cup. So assuming it's somewhere near the same for cacao butter you'd get just under 2 cups in a pound. A little tends to last a long time though... you might only use 2 tbs in a chocolate recipe.

[Vanessa]

Hi guys- this is my recipe.

Yes, I find cacao butter is good at keeping cakes firm at room temperature- better than coconut oil. This Blackforest Chocolate Cheesecake does not need to be served frozen, but it does need to be chilled or frozen to 'set' it.

I use cacao butter in this recipe because it's a chocolate recipe and cacao butter has an awesome chocolate flavor/essence. Could you use all coconut oil? Of course you could, it just won't be as good and as chocolatey. You could also use all cacao butter, but because it is quite expensive, I use half and half.

I also use cacao butter in non-chocolate recipes as well, but I think it's best in chocolate recipes.