Prepare: Soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, rinse and drain. You can also quick-soak your cashews by soaking them in boiling water for one hour.Make vegan baileys (you need a ¼ batch for this recipe).
Make the crust: Line the bottom of a 7" or 8" cake tin (with a removable base) with some parchment paper.Add the cookies, espresso powder, and salt to your food processor and blitz for about 30 seconds until evenly finely ground. Add in the vegan butter and blend again until evenly combined and the mixture sticks together between your fingers. Press the cookie mixture into the base of the cake tin, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon, making sure it is compact. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: Add all of the filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blitz for several minutes until smooth and creamy with no lumps. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and place it back in the fridge to set for a minimum of 5 hours (or overnight if preferred).
Serving: Once set, carefully remove the cheesecake from the cake tin by lifting the bottom of the pan (see notes).Top with vegan whipped cream, dust with cocoa powder, and decorate with chocolate curls or shavings.Use a hot wet sharp knife to slice the cheesecake into portions before serving.
Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to a couple of months.I recommend first slicing the cheesecake into individual portions so that you can defrost them as needed. Then just allow them to sit at room temperature for an hour before serving.
Notes
Soaked cashews: Soak them in water for 4 hours, rinse and drain. You can also quickly soak them by soaking them in boiling water for one hour.
If the cake is sticking to the sides of the pan, carefully wipe the outside of the pan with a damp cloth.