Spice Cake With Raisins And Fiber

Food research has proved how important fiber is to our bodies. It is what delays a high blood sugar response. Adding fiber to every meal, increases health benefits, and decreases blood sugar spikes. It is advised that we consume 30 grams of fiber a day. Start small and increase daily, until you hit your target.Flax is one of those foods that we seldom eat, yet it has a multitude of benefits including fiber. When eating flax, it is best to consume the ground flax seed. Whole flax seed will simply pass right through, without giving you the benefit of its unique nutritional profile. Ground flax seed is high in magnesium, manganese, Vitamin B1 and. a form of healthy omega 3 that is called ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). You can buy flax seed ground, or you can purchase the whole seed and freshly grind it in a coffee grinder. Ground flax seeds are high in both soluble and non-soluble fiber, which help lower cholesterol. The fiber in flax also helps with good digestion, blood sugar balance and weight loss. Flax contains special fiber related poly phenol antioxidants called lignans. The lignans found in flax are converted by our gut bacteria to produce balanced hormones, and reduce the risk of breast cancer, as well as a reduced risk of prostate, colon and ovarian cancer. Because flax helps to balance hormones, it is beneficial to menopausal women as well to help decrease hot flashes. Oats contain a special fiber called beta-glucan, which has been proven to have the beneficial effect of removing cholesterol from the digestive track, before it can enter the blood stream. The oats, flax, and cinnamon help to stabilize blood sugar, which may be beneficial for people with diabetes, insulin resistant metabolic syndrome and obesity. This recipe is a cake with some extra nutrition and fiber, so you can have your cake and eat it too.

Spice Cake with Raisins and Fiber

2 eggs

1/3 cup butter or canola oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/3 cup ground flax

1/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour,

organic if possible

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup raisins, soaked in very hot water or boiled for 5 minutes and drained

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the eggs and the fat. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, sour cream and the spices and whisk or beat or stir to blend. Add all the dry ingredients at once and then stir to blends. Stir in the raisins. Bake in a buttered8 x 8 inch pan for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and ice with a buttercream or a cream cheese or a coffee icing.

Cream Cheese Icing. To make the icing beat together with an electric mixer 1 - 250 gram package of cream cheese at room temperature, 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 and a half cups of powdered icing sugar.