Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

My mother-in-law, Kay, passed away in September. She and I used to laugh at everything and anything!  I sat down today with my recipe box (yes, I still have one, filled to the brim with recipes I treasure), thinking about what dessert to make for the holidays. This will be our first Christmas without Kay, so I decided to make one of the desserts she shared with me.

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup of uncooked oatmeal
1 1/4 cups of boiling water
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white, granulated sugar
1/2 cup of margarine or unsalted butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Topping ingredients:

1/4 cup of melted margarine or unsalted butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3 tablespoons of light cream or milk
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
3/4 cup shredded coconut

Cake Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with Pam, or line with parchment paper (do not spray). Set it aside.

Put the uncooked oatmeal in a large mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal, cover, and set it aside to soften (about 15-20 minutes).

Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.

Cream the margarine (or butter) with the white and brown sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Add this creamed mixture to the softened oatmeal and stir to blend. Add the sifted flour mixture to this and stir until well blended.

Pour the cake batter into your prepared 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Leave the cake in the pan. While it cools, prepare the topping. 

Melt the margarine (or butter) in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, the light cream (or milk), the chopped pecans and the shredded coconut. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Spread the topping over the top of the cake. Put the cake back in the oven and broil the topping, on low, for 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on the cake so it doesn't burn! 

​Remove the cake from the oven. Cool and Enjoy!

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