Plum Cake. Smile :)

I love to bake and I love cuisine, so this blog will have many references to food.

Sometimes I'll share recipes like this easy-to-make Plum Cake. I baked it for a recent gathering of family and friends.

Now remember, as this blog is about Yoga intersecting with personal passions and pursuits, when I write about food or baked items, you'll notice it's influenced by my yogi-ness and how much I value good health and wellness.

Therefore while the cake called for butter, I did it a healthier turn by using Smart Balance. Smart Balance is a unique spread - a blend of all-natural fats derived from vegetables. It might even have the ability to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL).

I also used finely ground whole wheat flour, instead of pure white. You'll get more fiber in your diet with whole wheat. And that's like a healthy, yoga asana sun salutation for your intestinal tract! This whole wheat flour is so close to the feeling of regular white flour, you'll never notice a difference. Whole wheat has come a long way! I found mine at Trader Joe's.

PLUM CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9" spring-form pan with a circle of parchment paper. Then grease the parchment paper.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (try Smart Balance)
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted (try fine whole wheat flour!)
1 teasp. baking powder
pinch salt, optional
2 eggs
24 halves pitted purple plums (the small Italian plum variety!)
For topping: sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cream sugar and butter.
2. Then add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
3. Spoon batter into 9 inch spring-form. (other sizes can be used as well.)
4. Place plum halves skin side up on top of batter.
5. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice depending on the sweetness of the fruit; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or however much you like.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove and cool. Note: The plums sink to the bottom.

Enjoy!