Oats and Yogurt Breakfast Cake I Eat Almost Every Morning, No Flour

Some people meal prep lunches. I meal prep this cake. On Sunday I stir together rolled oats, plain yogurt, a ripe banana and eggs, top it with sliced plums, and bake it in one pan. There is no flour and no added sugar; the banana and the fruit do the sweetening. All week I warm a square in the morning and eat it with an extra spoon of yogurt and my coffee. It tastes like a cross between baked oatmeal and a soft fruit cake, and it keeps me going until lunch. In the fall I use the last plums or a couple of apples.

Servings: 6 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 35 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats
• 1 cup (250 g) plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
• 1 large ripe banana
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/3 cup (40 g) walnuts or almonds, chopped
• 8 oz (225 g), about 5 plums plums, pitted and quartered (or 2 apples, sliced)
• 1 tsp butter, melted, for brushing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish, or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Whisk in the yogurt, milk, eggs and vanilla.
3. Add the oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir well. Fold in most of the chopped nuts. Leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes so the oats soften and the batter thickens; this gives a cake-like texture instead of a loose porridge.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the dish. Arrange the plum quarters on top, skin side down, pressing them in slightly. Brush the fruit with the melted butter and sprinkle with the rest of the nuts and a pinch of cinnamon.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the center is set and springs back when pressed, the edges are golden and the plums are soft and juicy.
6. Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting. It slices more neatly once it has cooled down completely.

Tips and variations

• Plums are tart, so if yours are not very ripe, slice in an extra half banana to the batter or serve with a drizzle of honey (which does add sugar).
• Apples, pears or a cup of frozen berries work just as well as plums.
• Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat a square for 30 to 40 seconds in the microwave.
• For a nutty flavor, toast the oats in a dry skillet for 3 minutes before mixing and let them cool.

Bake it once on the weekend and breakfast is taken care of for days. I hope it brightens your mornings like it does mine.