As the weather gets cooler, salads and sorbets are gradually replaced by soups, heartier meals and desserts that have more substance. This Vegan Chocolate Blackout Cake features chocolate covered goji berries, rich in antioxidants and purported to help protect the liver and eye retina, and improve overall circulation and immune function.

Goji berries usually come dried, since they mostly grow in China, Mongolia and Tibet, where they’ve been used by herbalists for thousands of years. In this form they resemble red raisins.

Cake Ingredients

3 c. whole wheat pastry flour

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. good quality cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. cider vinegar

2/3 c. canola oil

2 c. lukewarm water

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 8” round or 8”x8” square pan.

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk and sit aside.

3. Whisk together all wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold together using a large spatula.

5. Pour into prepared pan and bake approximately 40 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

Frosting Ingredients

1 c. chocolate covered goji berries*

1/4 c. canola oil

3 tbsp. honey (or substitute agave or brown rice syrup to taste)

2 tsp. vanilla

3 tbsp. cocoa powder

1. Place all ingredients on top of a double boiler and mix well.

2. Mix gently till goji berries are melted.

3. Pour over cake while still warm and still in pan.

4. Sprinkle chocolate covered goji berries on top.

* Kopali goji berries are available from KopaliOrganics.com, Amazon.com, Vitamin Shoppe and Whole Foods Market.

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