Oatmeal Cake

What is oatmeal cake, you ask? One of the best desserts you will every try. It is moist and tender with this amazing flavor. I don't know who originally created the cake. My recipe came to me via my mother who got it from my paternal grandmother. The recipe is handwritten out in the old style of recipes. I love it. I don't have too many recipes from my grandmother. As a matter of fact, I think this is the only one. I also have two or three quilts that she made, but that's a different topic. Back to the cake...

This cake really is delicious. There's a little butter and oatmeal, and the usual cast of cake characters. But instead of icing, this cake is topped with butter, sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, pecans and coconut. You will love this cake; I promise. Check it out!

1 cup oats 
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup self rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour or spray with baking spray a 9x13x2 baking pan. Boil water; in a large bowl combine oats and water. Add to this 1/2 cup (1 stick) of margarine cut into small pieces. Stir and let rest for 20 minutes.

Add sugar and brown sugar, and stir until combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, and combine after each addition.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Sift dry ingredients into wet, and stir until combined.

Pour into pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, gather ingredients for the icing and begin making it. I think the topping is one of the best parts of this cake, so I make  1 1/2 servings of it.

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans
1 cup angel coconut

To begin with, I really love this topping. I think it's much better using one and a half or twice the original recipe. That being said, whichever amount you decide to make, in a large enough pot to accommodate the ingredients, combine the margarine, sugar and condensed milk. Bring to a slow boil and allow to thicken.

Once mixture has thickened, remove from heat and vanilla, pecans and coconut. Pour over cake while the cake is still warm.

Broil the cake in the oven until the topping is lightly toasted and golden brown. Watch it carefully; it can go from not toasted to very toasted very quickly... ask me how I know this. lol

Allow the cake to cool, cut yourself a slice, and enjoy!!!