Avocado Pound Cake - score!

Avocado in a cake recipe.  Who knew it would be so good!

Well, to be honest, I had a sneaking suspicion that it would be good (as the Avocado Pie had been such a resounding success) - but not completely yummy.

I'd been tipped off about this cake by my contact at the Bournemouth Echo, who recommended it to me quite a while ago, having found it on the "Joy the Baker" blog site.  So, when I saw that Avocado Week was fast approaching, I sought it out with intentions of making it to coincide.  Regrettably, real life got in the way and we missed Avocado Week by a mile.  Can't be helped.

Now I really enjoyed making this cake - which doesn't happen with all cakes.  Some just seem to involve parading backwards and forwards across the kitchen floor on some never-ending quest for a lemon squeezer, or another teaspoon, or some cling film, or a tablespoonful of water.  This one, however, was simplicity itself.  Get your ingredients out, get a couple of bowls, a couple of spoons, a knife, your cup measures, a Kenwood Chef and a chair - and get cracking.

The entire cake was made in the Kenwood's bowl, with a slight deviation for sieving the dry ingredients into a separate bowl for inclusion later.  We can forgive the recipe that.

Ready for the oven - if I can just stop eating it!

As the cake mix began to grow (and change colour - it truly is amazing, how an avocado will turn your world green) the aromas just got better and better.  When it came to filling the loaf tins and I had a valid excuse for trying some of the uncooked mix, I was pleasantly surprised at just how yummy it was - which bode so very well for the finished article.

The baked cake is a lovely shade of golden, with interesting cracks in the crust that give a hint of the uranium-green of the contents.  I particularly liked this aspect of the cake, as so often you'll find the colour on the outside.  Like a marble cake, it hides its most distinguishing feature until you cut into it.  Mysterious!

Son & heir described the flavour of the cake as being similar to that of pancakes - and I can see where he was coming from with that.  I'd say that the cake has a flavour all of its own.  It truly is like nothing I'd ever tasted before.  The avocado is in evidence, but subtly.  The yellow cornmeal (polenta) gives the crumb an interesting texture.  The overall texture is that of a very light sponge that manages to be moist whilst holding its shape - and I am just so glad that the recipe makes two, as we've another in the freezer ready to be got out when this one is finished.

Click to enlarge & you'll be able to see the uranium-green peeping through!

This cake is perfect with a cup of tea, or I can imagine would be gorgeous served as a dessert with a sharp fruit compote and some sweet cream.

If your imagination has been caught, do give the cake a go - you'll be so pleased you did!

AVOCADO POUND CAKE (makes 2 loaves)

Ingredients :

3 cups self-raising flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

3 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¾ cup buttermilk

1½ ripe avocados, mashed.

Method :

1.  Preheat oven to 350deg F/180deg C/Gas 4.  Butter and flour two loaf pans and set aside.

2.  In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Set aside.  Set the four eggs out on the counter to come to room temperature while you beat the butter and sugar.

3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until softened and pliable.  Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add the avocado and beat another minute to incorporate.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed.

4.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after the addition of each egg.  Beat in vanilla extract.

5.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the flour mixture, all of the buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour mixture.  Beat just until combined.

6.  Divide the dough between the two loaf pans and place in the oven.  Turn the oven down to 325deg F/170deg C/Gas 3.   Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

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