Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Breakfast Cake

I was looking through my copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure ~ and decided to make the recipe for the Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Muffins.  After reading the recipe, I opted for the 'cake' version instead, which includes pineapple rings and maraschino cherries.  Below is my adapted version, with a few changes/additions to the recipe...I used just one egg instead of two egg whites, 2% milk (it's what I had on hand) instead of skim milk and I added vanilla extract and cinnamon for a little extra flavor.

When it came out of the oven it looked like a traditional pineapple upside-down cake ~ but it tasted more like a super thickened, cake'ish baked oatmeal to me.  Not surprising really, since it is made mostly of oat bran.  I was thinking I had a pretty flop on my hands.  I refuse to let food go to waste around here, so I decided to serve it anyway.  I decided to tinker with it, and when I presented it to my family as a 'pineapple-oat breakfast cake' (served warm, in a bowl with milk and a small drizzle of maple syrup) ~ it was an unexpected hit with both my husband and son!  My hubby liked it so much that he also ate it for dessert ~ this time chilled, with a scoop of light ice cream and a splash of milk.  So, with a bit of creative embellishing, it works as both a breakfast and a dessert.  Cool, score one for Mom!

Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Breakfast Cake
makes 8-12 servings
adapted from the book ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups toasted oat bran  (I used Trader Joe's toasted oat bran)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk (low fat or skim)
• 2 - 8 oz. cans crushed pineapple in its own juice (unsweetened)
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 7 pineapple rings, drained
• 7 maraschino cherries, drained 

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F.  Spray a round cake pan with Pam, place drained pineapple rings in a single layer on the bottom, add one maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and set pan aside.  Mix the oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Mix the milk, 1 can of crushed pineapple with juice, egg, vanilla extract and oil in a blender for 10 seconds.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients in the bowl and mix thoroughly.  Drain the second can of pineapple and stir into the bran mixture.  Pour oat bran mixture into cake pan.  Bake for approx. 30 minutes or until cake is cooked through.  Turn out the cake pan onto a cooling rack or a large, flat plate and allow to cool.  Cut into wedges and serve warm or cold.  Serving suggestions ~ warm ~ eat it plain or with milk and a little maple syrup for breakfast; and ~ chilled ~ with milk and light ice cream or with a little whipped cream for a dessert version.  Store in fridge.