Chocolate Avocado Cake
I find gluten free cakes can often be very dry, but my sister Alia surprised me this weekend with this beautiful gluten, dairy and egg free chocolate cake!
If you enjoy baking and would like to give this a go, we've found the perfect vegan recipe from Good Food magazine...
Ingredients
For the cake
a little dairy-free sunflower spread, for greasing
1 large, ripe avocado (about 150g)
300g light muscovado sugar
350g gluten-free plain flour
50g good quality cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
400ml unsweetened soya milk
150ml vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting
85g ripe avocado flesh, mashed
85g dairy-free sunflower spread
200g dairy-free chocolate, 70% cocoa, broken into chunks
25g cocoa powder
125ml unsweetened soya milk
200g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
gluten-free and vegan sprinkles, to decorate
Method
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins, then line the bases with baking parchment. Put the avocado and the sugar in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Add the rest of the cake ingredients to the bowl with 1/2 tsp fine salt and process again to a velvety, liquid batter. Divide between the tins and bake for 25 mins or until fully risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
Cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. While you wait, start preparing the frosting. Beat together the avocado and sunflower spread with electric beaters until creamy and smooth. Pass through a sieve and set aside.
Melt the chocolate, either over a bowl of water or in the microwave, then let it cool for a few mins. Sift the cocoa into a large bowl. Bring the soya milk to a simmer, then gradually beat into the cocoa until smooth. Cool for a few mins. Tip in the avocado mix, icing sugar, melted chocolate and vanilla, and keep mixing to make a shiny, thick frosting. Use this to sandwich and top the cake. Cover with sprinkles or your own decoration, then leave to set for 10 mins before slicing. Can be made 2 days ahead.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2015