It’s really cake. However, I always feel this shape of treat should be called bread. What do you think?
Have you ever baked with avocados? There’s a few good reasons why you should.
Other than the obvious fact avocados are full of all kinds of vitamins and nutrients, did you know 75 percent of their fat is unsaturated? Avocados can be used in a 1:1 ratio as a substitute for butter in all baking recipes (cakes, cookies etc). While this doesn’t lower the calories of your treats, it makes them much more heart healthy. The avocados also have a high water content, which definitely helps keep things moist.
Avocados work especially well in chocolate recipes. Lighter colored baked goods might show a tinge of green depending on what you are making. It only matters if it bothers you.
I made several batches of this bread while testing it out. It was so delicious I was forced to hand it out all over town. I could not be alone with this in my home. I was thinking about in the fridge and that’s when I knew I had to get rid of it. As pathetic as that is, it’s true.
You’ll want to use very ripe bananas. Here are a couple of my bananas right out of the freezer. I let my bananas ripen on the counter until they are very mushy. I then put them in the freezer to have them available when the banana baking urge strikes. As they thaw out on the counter the skin turns almost black and the insides liquify. At this point you can just peel them and pour them right into your mixing bowl.
Make sure you are using the correct 9 x 5 baking sized pan. Get out your ruler to verify it’s not a smaller size. It will take too long to bake with the wrong size pan and likely over-bake.
The frosting is so easy to make, but comes out best when made in a food processor. I’ve noticed a mixer does not chop up the avocado bits very well. You are then left with little green specs and particles in your frosting that you might not want to be there. Subbing avocado for butter also makes this frosting naturally vegan.
The bread-cake is pretty once frosted and tastes so decadent and richly sinful. It’s impossible to have just one piece unless you have incredible willpower. I don’t.
I hope you give baking with avocados a try. It’s such a delicious substitute for butter.
Chocolate-Banana-Avocado Bread with Chocolate-Avocado Buttercream
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup mashed California avocado
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, more for sprinkling on top
Frosting:
- 1 large, ripe California avocado, peeled and pitted
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 x 5 baking pan by coating lightly with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and cocoa powder. Sift these together several times and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together avocado, sugar and eggs; about two minutes. Beat in bananas and vanilla until combined. Add 1/2 the flour mixture, then sour cream and then remaining flour mixture. Add in chocolate chips and mix just until combined.
- Pour into prepared baking pan and dot the top of the batter with a few extra chocolate chips. Bakin in the oven for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick returns with a few crumbs (you will have some melty chocolate from the chips). When done remove from the oven and place pan on a wire rack. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
- To make the "buttercream" add all ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth. Cover the surface of the bread using an offset spatula. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
- Best if kept in the refrigerator before serving.
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