Quatro de Mayo

So, today's my birthday and I promised you an avocado cake recipe. Here's one from the California Avocado Commission. You can either make cupcakes or a cake:

Avocado Spice Cake Yields: ½ sheet pan, 32 servings
Avocado Cream Cheese Frosting Yields: 23 oz., enough for ½ sheet pan
Caramelized Avocado Yields: 32 slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar, granulated
• 1 cup butter
• 4 each eggs
• 2 cups Fresh California Avocado, peeled, pitted, mashed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 cups flour, all purpose
• 1 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tsp. additional flour
•  

  Avocado Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ⅜ cup Fresh California Avocado, peeled, pitted, pureed
• 13 oz. powdered sugar
• 4 tsp. sour cream
• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
•  

  Caramelized Avocado

• 1 each, Fresh California Avocado, peeled and pitted
  As needed, granulated sugar
• As needed, vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Cream together sugar and butter. Add the avocado and eggs and beat to incorporate. Mix in the buttermilk.
2. Mix together the flour, spices and baking soda. Add them to the batter and mix well.
3. Toss the raisins, walnuts and small amount of flour together. Add to the batter and mix in.
4. Pour into an ungreased ½ sheet pan and bake at 350 until done and golden, about 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature before frosting.

Avocado Cream Cheese Frosting Preparation

1. Beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the pureed avocado.
2. Beat in the powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Refrigerate.
3. Shelf life of the frosting is 3 days.

Caramelized Avocado

1. Slice each half of the avocado end to end, into 16 slices.
2. Press both sides of each slice into sugar.
3. Sauté on medium in a little bit of oil in a non-stick sauté pan until the sugar is caramelized, flip and repeat on other side.

1. Slice the cooled cake 8 X 4. Pipe on the frosting. Top each piece with a slice of caramelized avocado. Refrigerate.