Orange and Avocado Cake Recipe -

This Orange and Avocado Chocolate Cake recipe by Samira Damirova is the perfect mix of naughty and nice. It is rich, chocolate-y and zesty and uses a blender to mix the batter (Samira uses a Vitamix). Try this cake for a special event or simply bake for loved ones and family to enjoy.

Ingredients

1 medium size orange

180g dark chocolate

50g butter

3 eggs

2 avocados (about 250g-280g).

3/4 cup sugar (raw or coconut sugar)

1/2 cup almond meal

1/3 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)

Coconut ganache

150g dark chocolate

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp maple syrup

Method

Place orange into a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes then discard the water, refill again with fresh water and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 2 hours or until orange is tender. Discard the water and allow orange to cool (This step can be done a day ahead).
Preheat oven to 170C Fan forced, butter a 22cm diameter tart pan.
Break chocolate into small pieces, place into microwave proof bowl, add cubed butter and microwave at 30 second intervals until melted (it shouldn’t take longer that 1 minute 15 or 30 seconds). Once melted stir well to combine and set aside to cool.
Add eggs, sugar, cut up orange, and avocado into a Vitamix jug (or blender) in the listed order. Blend starting from lowest setting gradually increasing to speed 6 and run it until mixture is completely smooth.
In a bowl mix almond meal with sieved coca powder, add the avocado mixture and the melted chocolate with butter. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.
Move the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the with a spatula. Bake for 40 minutes or until the middle is set. Remove from oven, set aside to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan.
To make the ganache break chocolate into pieces add coconut milk and microwave at 30 seconds intervals for 1 minute and mix well until smooth. Add the maple syrup, mix well and set aside to cool in the fridge for 20 minutes before icing the cake.
Cool completely before icing with the ganache.

Chef’s Option

Decorate with candied orange slices. To make candied orange slices, slice 3 oranges to 3mm think add them to the pan cover with 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 1 hour on low heat. Once translucent remove from liquid and drain on cooling rack. You can use the syrup in the place of maple syrup for extra orange flavour as well as adding zest of orange to your ganache.