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A cake with avocado in it? Yep! This Chocolate Avocado Cake recipe is made with almond flour and uses avocado to add moisture to the batter,along with some healthy fats,but I pinky promise you can’t taste it! This cake is rich,fudgy and will leave you wanting to go back for seconds.
This chocolate avocado cake mightjust be my new favorite cake recipe. Similar to my avocado brownies,I made it more than once and gave some to my neighbors to try,and everyone gave it two thumbs up.
Recipe features
- It’s fudgy,moist,rich,chocolatey,and you’ll never believe that it’s gluten free
- The cake AND the icing have avocado in it
- It’s naked on the outside with icing on top and in between,making it faster to prep!
Ingredient notes:
Almond flour:Bold statement,but almond flour might be my favorite gluten free flour (besides gluten free all purpose flour). It has a mild flavor and it doesn’t alter the texture much,which can be tricky in gluten free baking.
Coconut sugar:You can sub cane sugar,but if you want to keep this a little bit healthier,I recommend coconut sugar. It adds the right amount of sweetness and you won’t be able to tell the difference between this and regular sugar.
Cocoa powder:You can’t make a chocolate cake without cocoa powder! Look for unsweetened cocoa powder,or better yet,raw cacao.
Eggs:The eggs are very important in this recipe. I tested it with flax eggs instead to try to make it vegan,and the texture just wasn’t the same (i.e. not as good!).
Avocado:No,you can’t taste the avocado,but it adds moisture to the cake similarly as to when you add banana/applesauce/pumpkin to recipes. The chocolate masks the taste of the avocado,but you’re still getting a dose of healthy fats!
Maple syrup:I love adding syrup to cake recipes (like these apple cupcakes) because it keeps the cake moist while adding a bit of sweetness to the batter.
Almond milk:In an effort to not add too much syrup,I decided to add a little bit of milk as well. You can use any dairy free milk,but my go-to’s tend to be almond,oat or coconut.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1:Line your cake pans.Don’t skip this step —lining your cake pans with parchment rounds ensures that the cake won’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 2:Mix dry ingredients.In a large bowl,stir the flour,sugar,cocoa powder,baking soda,and salt together.
Step 3:Stir wet ingredients.Whisk the eggs,maple syrup and vanilla together,then add the mashed avocado to that same bowl and stir to combine.
Step 4:Combine.Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients,then gently fold them together. There WILL be some lumps and that’s ok! Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean,and wait for them to cool completely before icing them.
Chocolate avocado icing
As much as I love the cake,a cake is nothing without the icing! All you need to make this icing is:
- Avocado (make sure it’s ripe!)
- Grass-fed butter
- Dark chocolate (I used 85% dark)
- Coconut oil
- Powdered sugar
Start by mashing the avocado really well in a bowl,then add the butter to that same bowl. You don’t have to soften the butter–just grab it right from the refrigerator,slice it thinly and add it to the bowl.
Next,melt the chocolate and coconut oil together either over the stove or in a microwave-safe dish. If you go the stovetop route,make sure to whisk frequently so the chocolate doesn’t burn. If you choose the microwave,stir the chocolate every 30 seconds. Then,pour the melted chocolate over the butter and avocado and let it rest for 3-5 minutes,which should allow the butter to soften. Use a spatula to stir the mixture until it’s smooth and the butter has melted.
Note:the butter might not completelymelt,and that’s ok! You want it to be mostly melted,but it will smooth out once you add in the powdered sugar (see next step).
Last,add the powdered sugar and use an electric mixer to stir everything together. The icing should be *thick* but still spreadable. If it seems too thick,add 1 tablespoon of milk.
FAQs and Tips
- Mash the avocado really well.This might seem like a no-brainer,but the more you mash the avocado,the smoother it’ll be,and therefore the less likely there is to be lumps in the batter.
- Line the cake pans with parchment paper.This is SO important–do not skip this step! There’s nothing worse than putting in the effort to bake a cake only to realize that your cake is stuck to the bottom of the pan. You can often find parchment paper rounds at baking stores,or you can create your own. Simply place your cake pan on top of parchment paper,trace it with a pencil,then cut it out. It only takes a few minutes and it makes a huge difference.
- Pack the almond flour. When measuring almond flour,make sure to pack it tight in the measuring cups. That way,the cake doesn’t fall apart once it’s baked.
- Cool the cakes.Once the cakes are baked,wait 10 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Always wait for the cakes to come to room temperature before adding the icing;otherwise,they may fall apart,especially since they’re gluten free.
Tip
Use a ripe avocado.Finding the perfect avocado can be tricky,so I recommend purchasing 3-4 avocados just in case one of them is under or overripe.
What size cake pans should I use?
You have two size options for this cake. You can either make a 6″3-tier cake like I did,or a 8″2-tier cake.
How should I store this?
You should store this cake in a covered container or on a plate wrapped in foil at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After that,place it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note:the texture of the icing will change when it’s refrigerated,so you may want to let it come to room temperature before serving
More gluten free desserts
If you made this recipe,be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Chocolate Avocado Cake
A cake with avocado in it? Yep! This Chocolate Avocado Cake recipe is made with almond flour and uses avocado to add moisture to the batter,along with some healthy fats,but I pinky promise you can’t taste it! This cake is rich,fudgy and will leave you wanting to go back for seconds.
Servings:
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line three 6″cake pans with parchment paper and set aside. You can also use two 8″cake pans if you prefer.
In a large bowl,combine flour,sugar,cocoa,baking soda,and salt;set aside.
Scoop avocado out into a small bowl,then use a fork to mash it really well (mash for at least 30 seconds to remove as many lumps as possible). In a separate bowl,whisk the eggs together,then add the syrup,milk and vanilla. Last,add in the avocado.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients,then use a spatula to fold everything together. There WILL be some avocado lumps,and that’s ok! Make sure not to over-stir the batter.
Once everything is combined,pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes,or until a toothpick comes out clean. Leave cakes in the cake pans for 10 minutes,then run a knife along the edges and carefully invert them onto a cooling rack. Allow cakes to cool before icing.
For the icing:mash the avocado into the bottom of a large bowl. Then,thinly slice the butter and add it to the bowl. Next,melt chocolate and coconut oil together (over the stove or in the microwave) until smooth,then pour the melted chocolate over the butter and avocado and allow it to sit for 3-5 minutes,which should soften the butter. Use a spatula to stir everything together until the butter is smooth (this may take a minute). Don’t worry if the butter isn’t COMPLETELY melted–it will melt once everything is mixed together. Then,add the powdered sugar and use a hand mixer to combine everything. The icing should be thick but still spreadable.
To assemble:You do NOT need to slice off the tops (the “dome”) of the cakes. Instead,just place a dollop of icing over each layer and spread it a bit,then repeat that step,stacking the cakes as you go. Top the entire cake with extra chopped chocolate and enjoy!
Video
Notes
*1 avocado=½ cup mashed,½ avocado=¼ cup mashed (approximately).
*Can sub your favorite dairy free milk and/or use vegan butter in the icing if you prefer.
*Do NOT substitute the flour;all gluten free flours act very differently in baking,and I’ve only made/tested this recipe using almond flour —if you substitute a different flour,it probably won’t work.
*Cake pans:recipe calls for three 6″pans,but you can also use two 8″pans.
UPDATE NOTE:This post was originally published in February 2020. I was updated with new text and photos in July 2024.
Nutrition
Serving:1g| Calories:596kcal| Carbohydrates:68g| Protein:11g| Fat:35g| Saturated Fat:10g| Polyunsaturated Fat:1g| Monounsaturated Fat:7g| Trans Fat:0.3g| Cholesterol:75mg| Sodium:302mg| Potassium:345mg| Fiber:8g| Sugar:51g| Vitamin A:357IU| Vitamin C:3mg| Calcium:131mg| Iron:4mg
