Chocolate & Avocado Cake

I got your attention with the title didn't I? When I first heard about this cake and saw it on Joy the Baker, I was intrigued so I decided to make this for my husband's birthday. He had a rotten birthday quite honestly as he was sick with the flu _again _for the third time these past 2 months. His resistance has been low ever since his hospital visit and the mega antibiotics (although thanks to reader Kyle for her great advice on antibiotics) and at this point, we're both tired of him being sick. He's sick of being a patient and I'm sick of being his nurse. This cake was actually good for him as it didn't contain any dairy, a supposed no-no as far as colds and flus are concerned. It also happened to be Vegan which he isn't of course but I did find it amusing that I set out some eggs and butter for this cake the night before only to wake up and realise that neither was needed.

The cake itself is quite good indeed. For a cake very low in fat and with no eggs, it has a lovely, light rich chocolate taste to it and is surprisingly moist (although adding some chocolate flakes of chips would have been good in retrospect). The crust is a touch crunchy but the inside tender. I can't say that I was a huge fan of the avocado buttercream though. In fact I found myself scraping it off the cake and eating the cake by itself. Funnily enough, the avocado buttercream doesn't turn brown and sets just like a regular buttercream but the taste...well it's like sweet avocadoes and if you happen to like that idea then it might be the icing for you.

While our place is being renovated, we are staying with my parent's and therefore I was baking in my mum's kitchen. Baking in a kitchen other than your own is never quite as comfortable as your own kitchen.  Couple that with the fact that my mum is not a baker. Her baking powder is rarely used (and had me worried whether it was still in date) and she has a few measuring cups and spoons but not as many as I do as I am a bit of a crazed baker. So sure she may not have had all the equipment but what she had was a garden full of gorgeous flowers including Cherry Blossoms, roses and daisies as she is a keen gardener (sadly, the green thumb was not passed onto me).

So tell me Dear Reader, are you a fan of vegetables used in sweet dishes e.g. carrot cake, zucchini cake or avocado shakes?

Chocolate & Avocado Cake with Avocado Buttercream (Vegan)

Makes 2 x 8-inch rounds or 2 thinner 9-inch rounds

from Vegetarian in the Middle East

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup soft avocado, well mashed, about 1 medium avocado

• 2 cups water

• 2 Tablespoons white vinegar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180C.  Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch tins.  Set aside.

Step 2 - Sift together all of the dry ingredients except the sugar.  Set that aside too.

Step 3 - Mix all the wet ingredients together in a bowl, including the super mashed avocado.

Step 4 - Add sugar into the wet mix and stir.

Step 5 - Mix the wet with the dry all at once, and beat with a whisk (by hand) until smooth.

Step 6 - Pour batter into greased cake tins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Step 7 - Let cakes cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting with avocado buttercream.

Avocado Buttercream Frosting

from Alton Brown

• 8 ounces of avocado meat, about 2 small to medium, very ripe avocados

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 pound/500g powdered sugar, sifted

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Step 1 - Peel and pit the soft avocados.  It’s important to use the ripest avocados you can get your hands on.  If the avocados have brown spots in the meat, cut out those spots. Smash the avocado meat up. Show it who is boss. Imagine your most loathed colleague or the neighbour that plays the music very loudly late at night or the one that uses their leaf blower at 7am on a weekend. The avocado needs to be beaten into submission and as smooth as possible.

Step 2 - Place the avocado meat and lemon juice into the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment.  Whisk the avocado on medium speed, until slightly lightened in color and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 3 - Add the sifted icing/powdered sugar a spoonful at a time and beat.  Add vanilla extract until combined.  If not using right away, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  And I know your next question-it won't turn brown! :)