California Avocado Flourless Triple-Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with unsalted butter, and line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
2. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Meanwhile, place half an avocado in a small bowl or mortar and pestle and mash until completely smooth with no lumps remaining. Measure ¼ cup of the mashed avocado and set aside. Any remaining avocado can be saved for another use – or simply enjoyed by the spoonful.
4. In a large heatproof mixing bowl, stir together the mashed avocado, semi-sweet chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate chips and unsalted butter. Place the mixing bowl on top of the pan of simmering water and continue stirring over medium heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth with no lumps remaining. Carefully lift the mixing bowl off the pan (the bowl will be hot) and set it on a heatproof surface to cool briefly, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Once the bowl has briefly cooled, add the granulated sugar and stir until blended. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until smooth between each addition. Then add the vanilla, salt and instant coffee crystals or espresso powder, stirring until blended. Place a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl, then pour in the cocoa powder and sift to remove any lumps. Stir the batter until no streaks of cocoa powder remain.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs sticking to it, about 25 to 30 minutes.
7. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving platter and peel off the parchment paper.
8. Place the platter in the refrigerator and let the cake chill uncovered until cool to the touch, about 30 to 45 minutes. Then cover the platter with either foil, plastic wrap, or an airtight lid, and continue to chill in the fridge for at least another 3 hours or up to overnight, until ready to serve.
9. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and use a fine-mesh strainer to lightly dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar, unsweetened Dutch process cocoa, or both.

Variations: Serving a smaller crowd? Use a 6-inch cake pan, and simply cut all the ingredient amounts in half. Note that the baking time may increase by a few minutes due to the slightly increased thickness of the cake.

Serving Suggestion: Add an extra special garnish to the plate – a California Avocado rose! Learn how to make and avocado rose: https://californiaavocado.com/how-to/5-easy-steps-to-create-an-avocado-rose/

 Beverage Pairing: Serve with a glass of your favorite red blend.