Pre-heat oven to 350d. Line the bottom of an 8” springform pan. Place crust ingredients into a medium sized bowl and stir so melted butter has coated all the crumbs. Press crust into pan using a flat bottomed surface. A ramekin is very handy. Place springform on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
Drain and rinse cashews. Place all the filling ingredients into a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Pour cheesecake filling over the prepared crust. Tap it firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Place back on a baking sheet and bake for 50-55 minutes. The middle of the cake should still have a little wiggle and the top of the cake may crack. This is ok! Once the cake has cooled to room temperature, wrap it and place it in the fridge to firm up completely.
Reserve date water when draining. Pat the dates dry and place in the bowl of the food processor (complete transparency, I did not clean mine after I made the filling!). Add 1-2 tbsp date water and pulse to get the dates moving. Add in remaining ingredients and process until smooth and creamy. The texture is more icing than glaze but you can decide how you want it; if you want it thicker and more frosting like do not add more liquid.
Remove cake from the fridge and Spread icing on top. I decorated my cake with roasted hazelnuts (see tip below). Place back in the fridge until you are ready to enjoy!
HAZELNUTS: Roast your hazelnuts in a 350d oven for 15-20 minutes, shaking the pan halfway. Remove from the oven and place on a clean kitchen towel. Cover the nuts completely and rub to remove any excess skin. Do this while the nuts are still warm to make removing the skin easier. The skin can be bitter so try to remove as much as possible.