Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Joyce's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake


I am in love with this oatmeal cake. I've never made it before and I had no idea how oatmealy it would turn out. But you actually can't tell there's oatmeal in it! That's because you pour boiling water over the oats before adding them to the batter, and so they become soft and soggy and un-oatmeal-like. I also changed up the recipe slightly by using chocolate chips instead of the dried fruit the recipe calls for. Chocolate makes anything better. Duh. Forgive me for skipping the Broiled Topping. It sounds delicious, and I've included the recipe in this post, but I just didn't feel the cake needed the topping and I didn't want the added calories.

I was first drawn to the recipe because of its name: Joyce's Oatmeal Cake. My mom's name is Joyce, and as she is my baking inspiration and the one who got me into this hobby in the first place, I felt it was a sign that I have to make this recipe.

The 9x13 Pan Cookbook is really fun because every single recipe uses the same pan. And it happens to be one of my favorite pans. It serves enough people and it's easy because you just pour the batter into the pan and when done, slice to serve. It's a much bigger pain to shape drop cookies individually and place them evenly apart on a cookie sheet. Low maintenance is key! Also, this cookbook, which visually is half the height of most cookbooks, is part of the Nitty Gritty Cookbooks family. I love Nitty Gritty! How much? Let me count the ways.....I own 26 Nitty Gritty cookbooks!


Joyce's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake
Recipe by Barbara Karoff in The 9x13 Pan Cookbook
Serves 10-12

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped dates or raisins (I used chocolate chips instead!)

Pour water over oats and let stand. Cream sugars with butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; mix well. Combine flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture. Stir in dates (or chocolate!). Add oatmeal and water. Batter will be quite thick. Spoon it into a buttered 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until it tests done. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Broiled Topping
2/3 cup chopped nuts
2/3 cup flaked coconut
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons milk or cream

Combine all topping ingredients in a saucepan over low heat just to melt sugar and butter. Do not cook. Spread on baked cake and place under the broiler, about 4 inches from heat, until brown and bubbly.


Step-by-Step in Pictures

Pour boiling water over the rolled oats...

Cream the sugars with the butter until fluffy...

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl...

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture...

Add chocolate chips...

Add oatmeal and water mixture...

Pour into 9x13" pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes...

Test for doneness with a toothpick...

So moist. Perfect for breakfast or any time of day!

3 comments:

Joyce said...

I am so excited that the recipe is named after me. I think I'll make it for company this week and try the special topping! I'll keep your addition of chocolate chips, though. It sounds perfect for this recipe.

Joyce said...

Just to follow up...I made the cake today with the topping. I used pecans for the nuts. I thought the topping went really well with the cake and a nice hot cup of tea!! Thanks for the recipe.

Carolyn Jung said...

I would gladly start each day with oatmeal if it were in the form of cake!

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