Avocado cake

When I mention avocado, would you think of it as sweet or savoury?  Would you crave for a dessert or a salad?

My fondest memories of avocado was that of my mother mashing them and mixing them with milk and sugar. She would freeze the mixture and on Sundays, that was our special after lunch dessert - homemade avocado ice cream.  That was the one and only way I knew how to eat that fruit as a child.  

Avocado in cake?  Quite unique, isn't it?  I think that's exactly the reason why this cake became a hit in Manila - it's because it's a flavour you wouldn't really imagine would work. 

The hero of this cake is actually the buttercream.  All the avocado goodness is in it.  I would have wanted to put avocado in the cake itself, but being a delicate chiffon, I observed that mixing in the fruit puree dramatically changes the cake's texture.  I tried many, many times, believe me!  Adding in a puree essentially introduces another liquid to the batter and being a fruit, it also adds acidity.  Mixing in only a small amount of avocado so as not to affect the cake balance does not actually do anything to add flavour.  On the other hand, mixing in a considerable amount to add flavour greatly affects the texture. This, despite adjusting the amounts of the other liquid ingredients.  So in saying that, I decided to put all the avocado in the buttercream.  Trust me, you will taste avocado with your first bite.

A cake of this size currently costs nearly P700 pesos in Manila so I would say, it's really worth making it yourself.  Here in Australia, avocado prices fluctuate by the week.  One week it's affordable, the next week, the price doubles.  Pistachios are quite expensive too.  Overall, this cake is not cheap to buy or make! Having said that though, I would choose homemade anytime.

AVOCADO CAKE 

For the chiffon:

{A}

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons white sugar

{B}

¼ cup corn/canola oil

4 egg yolks, from extra large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup water

about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp liquid green food colouring (add only enough to make the mixture greenish) *

*If using gel paste, you probably need only a drop.

{C}

4 eggwhites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

{D}

6 tablespoons white sugar

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.

2. In a large bowl, combine {A} well. Add in {B}. Beat with electric mixer or by hand until smooth and well blended.

3. In a separate bowl, beat {C} on high speed until frothy. Gradually add in the sugar {D} and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Gradually and gently fold in egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Pour batter into an ungreased 8” round, 3” high pan.

4. Bake for about 50 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan into wire rack immediately and cool completely.

5. To release cake from pan, carefully run a thin knife around sides of pan and invert.  Wrap well with cling film and refrigerate or freeze until ready to assemble.

For the avocado Swiss meringue buttercream:

4 eggwhites

1 cup granulated white sugar

300 g unsalted butter, very soft

a pinch of salt

puree of 1 ripe avocado mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice (about 120 grams)

In a large, clean heatproof bowl, combine the eggwhites and sugar. Set the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch. Remove the bowl from the saucepan. 

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the eggwhite mixture until it is fluffy, cooled to room temperature, and holds stiff peaks.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt and the butter, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter has been added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy. Add the avocado puree gradually and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

To assemble cake:

**You will also need about 70 grams coarsely chopped shelled pistachios for topping.

Cut your cake horizontally in half. Invert top layer onto your cake board. Spread a layer of buttercream over your cake half, then top with other cake layer, cut side down. Cover the whole cake with more buttercream. If desired, use a cake comb on the cake sides.  Pipe out a reverse 'S' border around the cake top and a shell border on the bottom.  Top with pistachios.

My cake is more yellowish than light green as I only put a few drops of green liquid food colouring.

Enjoy!