Plum Cake

I have a problem. Big uh oh.

I lost about thirteen pounds. 

I did this, and for the past two weeks, I haven't lost any more weight. 

It's my own fault. I'm still exercising during the week. Hard, intense workouts. Good for my heart.

I'm still not stuffing my face, but I haven't been consistently cutting my calories enough to lose. 

I'm eating enough calories to maintain my weight, but not lose anymore. Boo.

I'll have one perfect day, and then I'll go to a Japanese steak house and over-eat.

This eating more than I should ends tomorrow.

In two weeks we are going on a vacation to Virginia in the mountains, where I plan on indulging quite a bit. So I need two good weeks before I go!

It is time to snap back into cutting calories the right way! 

I'm not totally unhappy with myself, but I have a ways to go before I hit my "goal".

 I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

 I realize this is a bit personal to be sharing on my food blog, but I feel like we're definitely on that level. If I haven't lost you yet as a reader, I feel confident that we're friends. Friends share things.

 Back to eating right. 

I'll share what I plan on eating all day tomorrow. This will work for me.

Workout 5:30am

Breakfast - Greek yogurt with blueberries

Snack - 5 egg whites

Lunch - Turkey on whole grain bread with spicy mustard and tomatoes

Snack - Two clementine oranges & a small plum

Dinner - Panko breaded boneless skinless chicken breast, garden salad with oil and vinegar, squash & red potatoes.

Snack - Cottage cheese.

 Speaking of good things to eat. I found the most amazing grapes at the farmers' market this weekend. They were tender and had such a distinctive flavor. The plums I got were flavorful without being mushy.

I just had to put them in this cake. This cake was amazing.  The batter is good enough that you could theoretically leave the fruit out.

I saw was, because it was devoured by my family almost instantly.

I added orange zest, but you could play around with it and add lemon zest, lime, or even grapefruit zest. Play around with it!

Plum Cake

Adapted, barely, from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


2 teaspoons baking powder


1/4 teaspoon salt
 

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature


3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar


2 large eggs


1/3 cup flavorless oil, such as canola

Grated zest of 1 orange


1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


8 purple or red plums (or even peaches, nectarines or apricots), halved and pitted

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan, dust the inside with flour, tap out the excess and put the pan on a baking sheet.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together.

Working with a mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until it’s soft and creamy, about 3 minutes. 

Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes, then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for a minute after each egg goes in. Still working on medium speed, beat in the oil, zest and vanilla; the batter will look smooth and creamy, almost satiny. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated.

Run a spatula around the bowl and under the batter, just to make sure there are no dry spots, then scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Arrange the plums cut side up in the batter. This should make four rows of four plum halves. Wiggle the plums a tad just so they settle comfortably into the batter.

Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is honey brown and puffed around the plums and a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 15 minutes during which time the plums juices will seep back into the cake then run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold the cake. Invert and cool right side up.

Once cool, I dusted mine with powdered sugar. It soaks into the plums, but keeps the cake a speckly white.

You can wrap the cake and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days, during which time it will get softer and moister.