Oatmeal Cake with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Sweet Harold chose our dessert for this Easter's meal. This delicious, moist cake was easy to make, plus it has the added health benefit of whole grain oats!  I often sing the praises of the Southern Cakes cookbook by Nancie McDermott.  If you are ever in search of an "across the board" cake cookbook with a wide variety of Southern delicacies, purchase a copy.  You won't be disappointed.

This cake can either be baked in a 9 x 13 pan or in layers as I did. For a simple weeknight dessert, I'd bake in the one large pan.  For Easter, I wanted the pretty sides to show through on the cake. 

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick-cooking)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into six chunks

1 1/2 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 t. ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten well

1 t. vanilla extract

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

1 stick butter

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

To make the cake:

In a medium bowl, combine the oatmeal, butter, and boiling water, and stir to mix them together a bit.  Set aside for 20 - 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and generously grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, or one 9 x 13 pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg, and stir with a fork to mix everything well.  In a large bowl, combine both kinds of sugar with the eggs and vanilla, and beat with a mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl, until thick and light-colored.

Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture in 2 batches, beating just long enough each time to make the flour disappear.  Mix in the oatmeal, stirring and folding to combine everything into a nubby, but well-mixed batter.

Scrape into the prepared pans and bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched lightly in the center, and begin pulling away from the sides of the pans.  Cool in the pans on wire racks or folded kitchen towels for 10 minutes.  If you have used round cake pans, carefully turn out the cakes onto wire racks, turn top side up, and finish cooling.  Or cool the cake in the large rectangular pan.

To make the frosting: 

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, evaporated milk, and sugar, and place it over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring now and then.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla, pecans, and coconut.  Beat well with a wooden spoon, a whisk, or a mixer on low speed, until you have a thickened, cooled frosting.  Spread it between the two layers and then on the top of hte cake, or spread it over the top of the rectangular cake, and serve it in squares, right from the pan.

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