Chocolate Avocado Mousse Cake

A sure fire way to win friends and influence people !

When I was 15 I went to New Caledonia on a student exchange. It was great. There were French boys everywhere and it was stunning to be exposed to such a different culture. Food was a huge part of the daily life at home in Noumea. The climate was warm with good rainfall and because of this ingredients were often grown and sourced locally and the care and respect with which each meal was prepared and eaten has stayed with me. Often there would be a green desert, it was silky smooth and sumptuous, the pinnacle of French cuisine surely ? Imagine my surprise when I found out that it was simply avocado and sugar mashed together😲 Where I came from avo belonged in a salad or on toast with marmite (both brilliant things to do with it) and here is was being used as a sweet, quelle horreur!. The idea of avocado as a sweet has really come into it’s own of late and I think this recipe has a lot more “je ne sais quoi” than my original encounter. It's also way ahead nutritionally. The nuts in the base provide great protein, the avocado is full of that good fat we need, the cacao is a good source of iron, protein and magnesium and I've opted again to use rice bran syrup as a sweetener to keep the GI lower. It's a simple recipe and I think it's a cracker !  Enjoy it with people you love or use it to get ill gotten gains, anything is possible with this goodness at hand.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Cake

INGREDIENTS
Base
¾ Cup Roasted Almonds
¾ Cup Hazelnuts
1 Cup Pitted Dates, Chopped
3 Tbsp Dark Cocoa
2 Tbsp Melted Coconut Oil   

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Filling
200g Good Dark (75%)  Chocolate, melted
2 Cups Ripe Avocado Flesh
¾ Cup Coconut Cream
½ Tsp Vanilla Extract
5 Tbsp Melted Coconut Oil
½ Cup Maple Syrup or Rice Bran Syrup
Pinch of Sea Salt 

METHOD
Base
In a food processor, blitz together the nuts until they reach a coarse crumb texture. Add chopped dates and melted coconut oil. Blend until mix reaches a sticky consistency. Add cocoa and mix until well combined.
Line a baking tin with cling wrap (make sure there’s a bit of an overhang so that you can remove from the tin) and press the base mix into the tin. Set aside in the fridge.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Filling
Add all filling ingredients into food processer and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour filling over the base.
Refrigerate until filling has hardened. Decorate your cake with yummy berries or fresh fruit if you like or use more gorgeous little hazelnuts.