This absolutely divine chocolate cake has lots of dark chocolate flavor and all the promise of the health benefits of the dark chocolate.

Instead of fat of butter and cream I have used a nutrient-packed pumpkin puree, which makes the cake rich, dense, and incredibly moist. You won’t miss the fat calories and I promise you won’t taste the pumpkin puree just the sweetness of chocolate.

Please, see the article on the many health benefits of dark chocolate within my resource page, if interested.

1 1/3 cups unbleached flour
2/3 cup whole-wheat cake flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder like Ghirardelli’s
¾ cup plain soymilk or low-fat milk

3/4 cup canned, unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup canola oil
½ cup Splenda, a non-caloric sweetener
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or rum essence (try Oetker Co. rum essence )

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a round or square 8-inch pan with vegetable oil. (Use cooking spray for convenience.)

2. Using a sifter, sift both flours together with baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, stir the pumpkin puree, eggs, canola oil, and sugar, combining all the ingredients thoroughly.

4. Stir the dry flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture until combined. Gradually add milk, then vanilla and blend well.

5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and set in the middle of the preheated oven. Bake for about 40 minutes (baking times will very with some ovens) OR until a small knife or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes and then carefully (the cake is heavy and invert onto the cooling rack.

For decoration of the cake use your imagination and have fun.
I like to put a few edible flowers (pansies or rose petals or lavender) and mint leaves atop the cake OR, if flowers are unavailable, I place a large paper doily over the cake and lightly dust the cake with powdered sugar, then I gently lift the doily up, revealing an eye-catching contrast pattern on the cake’s top.

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