Drain the cashews and place in a blender with 3/4 cup of the coconut milk and the sugar. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut milk with the cornstarch and set aside.

Blend the cashews, milk and sugar until completely smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and warm up over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the cashew mixture starts to bubble, quickly add the cornstarch slurry and whisk constantly until the cream is thick like pudding. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Set aside while you make the cake. It will thicken as it cools.

If you would like to make chocolate pudding, after stirring in the vanilla add the chopped chocolate. Wait a few minutes for the warm pudding to start melting the chocolate, then stir until smooth.