If I had to pick my favorite type of dessert it would definitely have to be cake. If there is vegan cake on the menu, it is hard for me to turn down a slice. When I bake a cake it is usually for a special occasion or celebration. Having a whole cake in the house is just too tempting for me. I didn't plan on sharing this Vegan Mexican Chocolate Avocado Cake recipe until next month, but I decided to make the recipe last weekend when my friend asked me to bring over dessert. How can I say no to a dessert request? I decided to bring this Vegan Mexican Chocolate Avocado Cake which I think was a good choice.
This was my first time baking with avocado and I wasn't sure if the cake would have a slight avocado taste. The avocado flavor doesn't come through; instead the avocado acts as a fat and you don't need that much oil for the cake. You just want to make sure that the avocado is completely mashed before adding it to the batter.
The cake has both unsweetened coco powder and melted Mexican chocolate. I love using Taza Mexican Chocolate, but any high quality dark chocolate will work. Ibarra Mexican Chocolate is vegan-friendly too! No one will even be able to detect that this cake is naturally vegan. No weird vegan egg substitutes are required for this recipe. All this cake needs is a little of of vinegar baking powder and baking soda to act as the eggs.
After the cake has completely cooled and frosted I like to store the cake in the fridge, especially in this hot summer weather. As I was photographing the cake, the frosting started to melt. I simply decorated the cake with fresh blackberries because they are my favorite and in season right now. Blackberries are also a popular fruit in Mexican dessert recipes and their flavor pairs nicely with the chocolate.
I hope that you enjoy this Vegan Mexican Chocolate Avocado Cake as much as my family and friends did! If you make the cake be sure to leave a comment or tag #thymeandlove on Instagram. I love seeing that you have been making!
Vegan Mexican Chocolate Avocado Cake
A moist, tender chocolate cake that is perfect for any occasion. No one will be able to detect that this cake is vegan.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 6 ounces Mexican Chocolate or dark chocolate, chopped
- ¼ Cup Unsweetened Coco powder
- 3 Tablespoons Water
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Cup Canola Oil
- 2 Cups Water {you could also use coffee}
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla, perferable Mexican
- 1 Large Ripe Avocado, mashed until smooth
- 1 Cup Cane Sugar
- 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
For the frosting:
- ½ Cup Vegetable Shortening
- ½ Cup Vegan Butter
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Coco Powder
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, preferably Mexican
- ¼ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two 8 inch cake pans. Set aside
- Combine Mexican chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder and the three tablespoons of water in a heat-proof bowl. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water, gently stir until melted and combined. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon,
- and salt. Whisk until combined.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, water, vinegar, vanilla, mashed avocado, and sugar. Whisk until combined. Stir in the melted and cooled chocolate and whisk until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Whisk until fully combined and smooth, without over mixing.
- Divide batter between both baking pans. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl cream together the vegetable shortening and butter with an electric mixer until combined and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and coco powder and beat for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and milk and mix until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled compeltly remove the cake from the cake pans. Place one of the cakes on plate or cake stand. Scoop some of the buttercream on top and smooth to cover surface with a butter knife or an offset spatula.Place second cake on top of buttercream and repeat with remaining buttercream, frosting the top and the sides of the cake.
- If not serving the cake right away, store the cake in the fridge.
Recipe adapted from here.
Xo Jeni
Vegan Recipes
I am a big fan of cakes too! It doesn't matter if I'm not hungry, every time I see a cake I need to try it! It's like I always have space for a wonderful piece of cake! This really looks amazing! Chocolate + avocado? wow that sounds like a perfect combo! 🙂