Tomorrow is going to be Easter Sunday, to celebrate this occasion I made this Avocado Chocolate Cake. I know it’s not until one day, but I made sure it will still last until tomorrow and besides this will give you one day advance preparation if you want to make it for tomorrow. Don’t worry, one day is more than enough time to have this in your menu because this is one of those easy chocolate cake. The kind where you mix the wet and the dry ingredients together, the only special thing here is that I added avocado in it, just to make it a little bit different.

I’ve posted quite a few Easter treats already and you can also find them at the end of this post. I hope you will find at least one that you would like to make for Easter. Since Easter Sunday is the a big day, I thought I would make a cake. I still have quite a lot of M&M left so I decided to use them as toppings for this cake. Just like adding zucchini in bake products, adding avocado doesn’t leave much avocado taste. I don’t know if that is bad news or good news to you, but avocado only made the cake moist while giving it a slight avocado flavor.

This cake has a soft but slightly dense and fudge like texture. It’s simple and easy to make, and can be made ahead of time. Keep refrigerated and decorate on the day that you want to serve it. Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt ( I used fine salt)
• 1/4 cup neutral oil (like canola or grapeseed)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup avocado puree (approximately 1 small avocado)
• 1 large egg – room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the ganache:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp dark/semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (chocolate chips will work too)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F, and position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
2. Line a 6″ round cake pan (with 2″ sides) with parchment paper on the bottom, and lightly grease the sides with oil.
3. Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Slice the avocado, remove the pit and puree using blender or small food chopper.
5. Wet Ingredients: Add oil, milk and vanilla into the avocado mixture. Stir until smooth. Set aside
6. Cream Egg and Sugar: Beat egg and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 – 8 minutes. Pour into the wet ingredients and gently mix.
7. Sift dry ingredients over the wet ingredients mixing just until combined. Do not over mix.
8. Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake.
   • 5.5-inch round pan: 43 – 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. If you under-bake the cake, it will slightly sink, so check it! It will also start to pull away from the sides when it’s done.
   • 6-inch round pan: 40 – 43 minutes
9. Remove the cake from the pan by carefully tilting it into one hand, peel off the parchment from the bottom, and then place it on a small cake stand.
10. For Chocolate Ganache Option: Transfer chopped chocolate/chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and pour the cream. Microwave 30 seconds interval until you get all the chocolates melted. Do NOT microwave in a straight long period of time. Chocolates are sensitive to heat, it could get burnt and dry easily. Also, it needs to be in a shorter interval so that you can monitor the consistency. Remember,  the larger the batch you make the longer you may need to return it back and forth in the microwave. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or until just slightly hard but not too hard to mix. Using an electric mixer, mix until the color turns light and the texture is soft and fluffy. You can also use it as is without mixing it, just let it sit 15 minutes at room temperature to slightly solidify.
11. Decorate the cake as desired using the chocolate ganache or any frosting of your choice.