The first time I tried avocado in a dessert, it was in a milkshake at an eclectic restaurant. I loved avocados; I loved sugar. Why not? Then my cousin pointed out, “Ew! You’re going to drink pure fat!” By the time the shake came, I could only muster a sip. My mom, ever the good sport, finished it for me.
[1]
Ten or so years later, I encountered an avocado Popsicle at the New Orleans [2] farmers market. By now I knew that avocados were common in Southeast Asian and Latin American desserts and wasn’t grossed out. This Popsicle was like ice cream on a stick; it was refreshing on that blistering day.
[3]
When my aunt recently visited me, she brought along gifts: Harbor Sweets chocolate [4], Trader Joe’s freeze-dried mangosteens, lettuce and avocados. (She was just being practical with the veggies.) That avocado was getting softer by the day, and like all surplus food [5], I had to turn it into dessert. I almost went with avocado pancakes [6], but they’re savory. So I went with this tender cake [7] from Accidental Hedonist. As Kate says, “Done correctly, it’s a cake that can sit with pride next to your zucchini bread or pumpkin cake.” It doesn’t taste gross, but it’s faintly vegetal in a good way, like carrot cake [8].
It’s so good that I might substitute puréed avocado for butter in other recipes. It’s kind of healthy too: avocado’s high in omega 3s, vitamin E and fiber. If you’re worried that people will be put off by the green color, just tell them you made a pistachio cake, which sounds far fancier. Trust me, it’s worth saving your avocados for.
Recipe is at Accidental Hedonist [7]
You can skip the walnuts and dried fruit if you wish. To make 20 cupcakes, bake for about 20 min. in a 350° F oven.
Related links:
More Vegetables in Dessert: Heirloom Tomato Cake [9], Chocolate-Potato Cake [10], Bean Brownies [11], Classic Carrot Cake [8] and Potato-Chip Cookies [12]
Gourmet’s Test Kitchen Challenge [13]: Avocado Marshmallows v. Avocado Crème Brûlée
More on my Trip to New Orleans [2] and the Relief Work That We Did