I have a confession to make: I can’t seem to control my urges for a piece of this cake. Once I get started during breakfast, I keep slicing and savoring each bite ever so slowly, then I just keep wanting some more. I don’t think any other cake I’ve made has had this sort of effect on me. And did I mention it’s perfect with coffee?
I found this recipe way back as I was browsing Joy The Baker’s website and was immediately curious. There are quite a few pound cake recipes I’ve come across that I would like to try, but none that have piqued my interest as much as this particular one. I’ve already made cakes with zucchinis in them, but avocados? Isn’t that just for guacamolé and fruit smoothies? But wouldn’t it be ever so interesting though, to eat a cake that is made of avocados, or simply a cake that cannot help but be green?
My mother buys a bunch of avocados every week, sometimes more when they are in season (like now). I guess you could say my family and I are fans. But all we ever do with it is turn it into a sort of avocado pudding (?) or eat whole slices of it with milk and sugar. Both are equally delicious in their own rights, but when I told my Mum I wanted to try avocados in cake, she was immediately on board.
The best part about these avocado pound cakes was the amazing texture. The experience of eating it begins with an almost melt-in-your-mouth moistness that gives way to this graininess contributed by the cornmeal in the batter, all the while giving you that full avocado flavour. By the time the cakes were done, the smell was absolutely divine, and the gorgeousness of the green flesh of the avocados has completely and utterly become one with the bread.
I did find that after spending a night atop my counter, the cakes were more flavourful, but that is not to say they were not delicious right after they are cooled. I reckon anytime you bring this cake out, it will get devoured faster than one can say, “Fantastic!”
Avocado Pound Cake
Makes two 9x4x3 loaves
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- about 1 1/2 cups flesh of ripe avocados, mashed
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease 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.
- 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.
- 4. Add the avocado and beat another minute to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed.
- 5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after the addition of each egg. Beat in vanilla extract.
- 6. 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. Divide the dough between the two loaf pans and place in the oven.
- 7. Turn the oven down to 325° F (170° C). Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. You may check the cakes every ten minutes or so after the 30 minute mark to make sure it doesn't over-bake. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
