Chocolate Avocado Cake

A lightly sweetened and deliciously fudgy cake that you won’t believe is actually pretty healthy! Scrumptious avocados star in creating this dense snack cake and creamy frosting. It’s a super easy and quick cake that’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, and/or dessert!

“Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it. ”

— Buddha

Most days I'm like, "Damn.. I'm pretty much the luckiest person ever. I'm so grateful for everything I have; a loving husband, supportive family, dream home, adorable furbabies, a general lack of needfulness, easy access to a variety of healthy foods, freedom from illness, etc." Then other days I'm like, "Dammit! I got wayyyyy too many avocados over here! How did this happen? I'm fairly certain I started with just two. Are they procreating? What the heck am I supposed to do with all these mofos?! Argh!" It's a good day when the majority of your stress revolves around fretting what to do with an aging, prolific agglomeration of gangster avocados.

It's also a good day when chocolate cake is involved. It's even better when almost half of said avocados are used in said cake! A win-win for everyone involved. 

I want to thank you all for the flood of heartfelt comments regarding my last post. You're all so incredibly kind. It's important to keep in mind that many people are going through the same thing you're going through. We can all lend support and love to one another in times of struggle and that's why I decided to share my stories with you all. I think it really helps. Thank you for virtual hugs and words of compassion and empathy, from the deepest chambers of my emo little heart. It means the world.

Okay so, when I was making this cake, we were having a crazy springlike day. It was so sunny and warm I had to keep all the doors open! Bailey and Anouk (our new furbaby) just hung out on the deck, basking in the Alaskan sun. Check out all their adorableness on my Facebook or Instagram pages. I also went for my first run in a month since breaking my foot! It was a good day, indeed. 

This cake uses three, count 'em three avocados! In addition, it also sports super healthy flaxseed, coconut oil, almond flour, cacao powder, and for an extra boost of antioxidant power I snuck in some chipotle chili powder into the frosting (optional). Sweet and spicy! This cake is just lightly sweetened, so I don't recommend skipping the frosting on this one. I've been eating a slice for breakfast everyday. Todd thinks it's a wee bit too healthy for him (he's not a reliable source when it comes to healthy desserts...). That means lots of cake for me... cake for daaaaaays. #noshame

Chocolate Avocado Cake

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

A lightly sweetened and deliciously fudgy cake that you won’t believe is actually pretty healthy! Scrumptious avocados star in creating this dense snack cake and creamy frosting. It’s a super easy and quick cake that’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, and/or dessert! Cake adapted from Clean Green Eats by Candice Kumai.

Ingredients

• - CAKE -
• scant 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 ¾ cup gluten-free blend or all-purpose flour
• heaping ¾ cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• meat from 1 large, ripe avocado
• heaping ½ cup vegan granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups fresh water
• ⅓ cup melted, unrefined coconut oil
• splash of vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• - FROSTING -
• meat from 2 large, ripe avocados
• ½ cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp vegan powdered sugar
• ¼ cup agave nectar
• 1 - 1 ½ tsp chipotle chili powder (optional)
• splash of vanilla extract
• dash of kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a blender or food processor, process the almonds until they become a flour (but not so much that you make almond butter). Pulse in the all-purpose flour, cacao powder, flaxseed, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Add the avocado and sugar to the empty food processor and process until smooth. Pulse in the water, oil, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda then pulse into the wet mixture until well combined. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined. The batter should be quite thick.
3. Line the bottom of an 8” round cake pan with parchment paper and spray the sides with a nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the cake batter into the pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for about 20 minutes, until set. Remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely (at least 40 minutes) on a wire cooling rack.
4. While the cake cools, clean out the processor. Add all the frosting ingredients to the processor and blend until smooth. Frost the top and sides of the cooled cake with a spatula. Slice and serve. Store in the fridge.

Yield: 1 8" round cake

Read this story from Mother Jones on how the meat industry consumes over 4/5ths of all antibiotic use. Superbugs, anyone? It'd be funny how hypocritical we are if it wasn't so shockingly terrifying. 

Pew Charitable Trusts

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Hello! How was your Father's Day weekend? I hope it was wonderful!

We had a little shindig involving cornhole (holeyboard) and Todd and I made some pretty awesome German Chocolate Cupcakes. Oh, there's one here!

I did a pen and ink of a Chickadee for my dad on his very special day. He says he's been asking for a piece for a lifetime. I cannot recall such beseeching, but regardless...he has one now! It's come to my attention that I tend to be especially and excessively desirous of possessing all works of art I produce. It's just so difficult to give them away. I'm like Gollum. My preciousss. Just look at me below. "Fight me for it, Dad!" Just kidding, that didn't happen. 

Never have I sold any of my work, though I had a follower ask about such an arrangement and I might actually try it! For a long time I've had a kind of soaring of my imagination to have my work in one of our local coffee shops, Vagabond Blues, where different artists are showcased. Alas, I've never inquired about it. I do acrylics and watercolor too.

I didn't actually take a photo of it on the big ol' camera, but I did take one with my phone. Check Produce On Parade out on social media to see more!

Okay, now onto these unbelieveable cupcakes. My dad's favorite cake is German chocolate. Always with the German chocolate cake. Every daughter, wife, grandma, aunt, sister, and girlfriend of any directly related family member knows how to make this cake. It's also my Grandpa and my brother's must have dessert for any special occasion. It gets made a lot 'round these parts. 

So, for Father's Day, there was clearly no choice in the matter. Because there are so many different women who know how to make said cake, the duty kind of rotates every few years. This year though, instead of a cake, I thought I would seriously mix things up and go with cupcakes. Super ballsy of me, I know. It was a real curveball. But guess what else? They had to be vegan, of course! But guess what else?? I stuffed them with the frosting! Oh yes, my friends. Tradition breaker over here!

These little dudes are so easy to make and they will seriously impress. The cake is completely scrumptious all on it's own as evidenced by my little brother who just dumped off the frosting and ate the chocolate cupcake plain. Thanks, Frosting-Hater. But really, the cake is one of the best around and the frosting is well...packed full of shredded coconut and crunchy pecans! These are loved by one who is ridiculously overenthusiastic about German chocolate cake, so you know they're the real deal. 

If you don't want to fill them with the frosting you don't have to, that's up to you! 

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12

Notes: If not filling the the cupcakes, cut the frosting recipe in half. Adapted from PetitChef. 

Ingredients

• Batter
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegan sugar
• heaping 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (unrefined or refined)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 cup room-temperature coffee (or water)
• Frosting
• 1 1/3 cups soy or coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cups vegan sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp. coconut extract (optional)
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 cup pecans, chopped finely 

Instructions

Cupcakes

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour through to and including the salt. In a small mixing bowl or blender, whisk together the remaining, wet batter ingredients. 

Slowing stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the batter is smooth and shiny. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F and arrange a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners. Evenly distribute the batter into the liners. Don't worry if they seem a bit full, they won't expand too much I promise! Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes until fragrant and the tops bounce back when lightly pressed. 

Remove from pan and allow to rest on a wire cooling rack. 

Frosting

While the cupcakes bake, in a medium saucepan over medium high combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla. Heat until almost boiling, whisking frequently. 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cold water and cornstarch. Slowly whisk the cornstarch liquid into the milk and sugar mixture. Continue to whisk until very thick and difficult to stir. 

Remove from heat and stir in the coconut and pecans. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before spreading onto the cupcakes. 

To Fill With Frosting

If you want to add a bit of awesomeness to these cupcakes, feel free to stuff them with the frosting! If you've never done it before, never fear, it's super easy. Here's how. With photos to boot!

When the cupcakes have cooled, cut a square into the top of the cupcake down to the bottom with a paring knife. Wiggle out the square with the knife blade and fill the hole with frosting. Cut off the top of the square and push it back into place, covering the frosting cave. Then, spread more frosting all over the top of the cupcake. Voila! Eat the little bits of leftover cake.

And there you have it. Amazing German chocolate cupcakes, vegan-style!

I know you love little informative infographics so here's one on how to fill a cupcake. Yay!

German Word of The Day

Chocolate cake --> Schokoladenkuchen (shockolaaden-koohen)

Good Deed of The Day

Am I the only person who is completely shocked that pets are still sold in stores? It's pretty f-ed up with happens to them. Let's put an end to it, eh? Please help stop the grisly pet trade. It only takes five seconds! 

Birthday Oreo Cake for Todd

I cannot believe Todd's 27th birthday was a few days ago! How did we get so...mature? I remember thinking when I was in highschool, that when I was married, had a house and a career that I would have it all figured out and I would know who I was. Yea...I was wrong. I'm still finding out who I am! We had a family birthday bash for Mr. Todd outside our tiny little house. I'm not a big social person and it was the first "gathering" we really had at our house, so it was a big day all around! For Todd, myself and our home!

I made some amazing veggie burgers and a wonderful herbed potato salad. Todd always wants an ice cream cake for this birthday, but seeing that we're vegan now and the fact that I've never made an ice cream cake before (god, what a task!), I couldn't just hop on over to Dairy Queen or wherever and buy one.

I do not like ice cream cakes. One, because they're usually bought pre-made and I like to actually make cakes from scratch and two, I don't like my ice cream and cake to touch. You heard me! No touchy-touchy! Anyways, feeling bad for Todd, this being his first year sans-ice-cream-cake, I wanted to make him something special.

The last cake I made was for my birthday I believe. It was a vegan chocolate "cheese"cake, aka cashew based cake and pretty much everyone told me it tasted like bread. I happened to like it quite fine but the non-vegans were less than impressed. And so I vowed to never ever make a faux-dessert anything again.

Obviously for this birthday, a straight up chocolate cake would be hard to bastardize. This cake however is no ordinary chocolate cake. It's super special because it is an Oreo cake...and it is vegan...and it rocked my world and surely the non-vegs as well. Who is seriously going about life hating Oreos? No one. This chocolate cake has Oreo cookies baked right into the cake itself as well as incorporated into the frosting and then crumbled on top too! But wait, I even used "Birthday Cake" Oreos.

If you haven't had these yet, I will need to you stop reading this post, drop whatever else important thing you're doing and go get some. They smell like what I imagine heaven would smell like, and they taste exactly like how they smell...like heaven. Birthday Cake Oreos are heaven on Earth. Yes, my health conscious friends...this recipe comes with a warning (yes, I did make that sign above, heh heh). What? I can't always be perfect. This cake is so delicious though, you should sneakily make it before your parents come home!

Here's the birthday boy with a new Jetboil camping stove! Um, awesomeness! We're super excited to have a new camping stove. One seriously cannot have enough. They're like wool socks in that regard.

For a little hermit like myself, we threw a pretty good bash! This cake was one for the books. Surprise your next birthday boy or girl with this beautifully delicious cake. Sorry about the scrubs, yo. Hey, I got frosting ALL over them so it's a good thing I never found time to change when I got home from work! All's well. Except that I seemed to have lost my glass cake stand during our move last year! Sad face.

Take notice to Bailey being in every damn picture. He's like the dog version of Where's Waldo. I need to get him a red and white striped bandana...and maybe we should start calling him "Baldo"?

Birthday Oreo Cake for Todd

Serves: 12 (makes 2 9" cakes to be stacked and frosted)

Inspired by Life In Limbo

This chocolate cake has Oreo cookies baked right into the cake itself as well as incorporated into the frosting and then crumbled on top. Use "Birthday Cake" Oreos for a birthday surprise!

Ingredients

• -- For the Cakes --
• 2 cups coconut milk (Silk) - I used unsweetened, plain
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground flaxseed
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 3 tsp. Kahlua or vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 heaping cup crushed Oreos - I used "Birthday Cake" Oreos...oh yes
• -- For the Frosting --
• 1 cup of vegan butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. Kahlua or vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk (Silk)
• 1 cup crushed Oreos
• 5 Oreos - for topping
• birthday sprinkles - for topping (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and then spray the crap out of two 9" cake pans.
2. First, whisk the milk, vinegar and ground flaxseed together and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl (preferably an electric stand mixer bowl!), combine the sugar, oil and Kahlua. Beat very well.
4. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the remaining cake ingredients except the crushed Oreos. Whisk well to combine. Now, add the milk and vinegar mixture to the sugar and oil mixture and whisk well to combine.
5. Then, slowly add in the dry mixture. Whisk well, ensuring that the batter is smooth. Stir in the 1 heaping cup of crushed oreos. 
6. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes, check the doneness with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cakes are finished cooking, if not then allow to the bake another 5 minutes and then check again.
8. Once they are done, leave them in the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
9. Time to work on the frosting! Add the room temperature butter to that electric stand mixer bowl (wash it first!), and beat the heck out of the butter on high speed. Next, add the sugar slowly and then mix on high for about 3 minutes. Add in the Kahlua and milk and mix again on high for another 3 minutes, slowly adding in the crushed Oreos towards the end.
10. Once the cakes have cooled, carefully remove them from the pans. Use a flexible spatula and go around the edges beforehand.
11. Frost the top of one, then place the other on top of that one and continue to frost the rest of the cake.
12. Add some leftover crushed Oreos on top to finish! I also added a few whole Oreos and some birthday sprinkles.

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