I’m sticking to my simple comfort food theme here.  This recipe is no innovative or new, just simple delicious.  You’ll find similar versions in all sorts of community cookbooks I am sure.  It’s the type of 9 by 13 dessert you might take to a church social or a big family gathering.  The cake is delightfully moist and hearty with a nice caramel undertone.  The topping adds sweetness and crunch, but I promise is not overwhelmingly coconutty.  Cut this in small pieces to serve a big crowd or big slabs with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a comforting, filling dessert. I bet someone you serve it too will have a memory of something similar in from his or her childhood.

Caramel Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Frosting

2014-09-22 10:51:25

Serves 10

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Cake

1. 1 cup old-fashioned oats
2. 1 ½ cups boiling water
3. ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4. 1 cup granulated sugar
5. 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
6. 2 eggs
7. 1 teaspoon vanilla
8. 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
9. 1 teaspoon baking powder
10. 1 teaspoon baking soda
11. ½ teaspoon salt
12. ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Broiled frosting

1. ½ cup (1 stick) butter
2. ¾ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3. 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
4. 1 cup shredded coconut
5. 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions

1. For the Cake
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray (I like Baker’s Joy for baking).
3. Put the oats in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave the oats to soak for 20 minutes.
4. Cream the butter and both sugars together in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Slowly beat in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until completely incorporated, scrapiing down the bowl as needed. Beat in the soaked oats until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 30 minutes, until the top is just beginning firm.
5. For the Frosting
6. Make the frosting while the cake is baking, put the butter, brown sugar and cream in a medium saucepan and heat over medium, just until the butter melts. Remove from the heat. A gew minutes before the cake timer goes off, bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat and boil for 1 minutes. Stir in the coconut and pecans until well combined. Take the cake out of the oven and pour and spread the frosting over the top. The frosting will be thick, just do you best to spread it out. Don’t worry about evenly covering the cake, or if some of the cake seems to pull up and mix with the frosting. The end result is a fabulous concoction of cake and gooey frosting.
7. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 12 – 15 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

1. I particularly like the cake served slightly warm, but it is equally delicious at room temperature, and leftovers make a delicious breakfast, room temperature or lightly warmed.

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