Pineapple Upside down cake isn’t something I’d normally make. Larry and I both like fresh pineapple well enough, but it’s not something at the top of our dessert list. But this was a test recipe for a publication, and I was really interested in the lower fat aspect of it.

The cake was really simple to make, using frozen pineapple chunks that are cooked up with brown sugar, and a simple buttermilk and fat-free sour cream cake batter that’s mixed up with a whisk. It’s a really nice cake. Very moist, just the right amount of sweetness.

This soup, on the other hand, is just okay. I thought it would be great – I love farro and beans together. I used some of the leftover mayacoba beans from yesterday. But it seems to be missing something, I’m not sure what.

• Mixed Vegetable & Farro Soup (Food & Wine, October 2010)
• Reduced-Fat Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Test Recipe)