Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

This cake is simply delicious. Perfect for snacking.

I have this old hometown cookbook from the city I grew up in. I grew up in a really small town in New Mexico and this cookbook is full of recipes from the women there. The cookbook was put together in the 70’s and I have been loving flipping through all the classic recipes. I found it interesting that in reading the directions they really didn’t go into too much detail. It’s more like just mix all this together and the pour it in the pan. It makes me wonder, was this because there was just an understanding that everyone knew the technique to use, or were they just not aware that different techniques would yield different results. Maybe they didn’t care, maybe the recipes were written to just throw it all together. I love the simplicity of it all. Now the recipe that I chose to try I did re-write the directions and added a couple things, but it was still pretty easy. The cake just got better as it sat, it almost got moister, if that's even possible. Very happy with the recipe! More retro recipes to come. :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

By Jamie Baer

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups hot water

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (all I had on hand were mini's)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 13 x 9 baking pan. (I used my trusty Bak-klene bakery spray)

2. In a medium bowl, pour hot water over oatmeal, set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer cream together butter and both brown and granulated sugars until light and fluffy.

5. Beat in eggs one at a time and vanilla, then stir in cooled oatmeal. Scrape down sides as needed.

6. Beat in flour mixture until just combined (I added mine in three additions), and stir in 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

7. Pour into prepared baking pan and sprinkle with the rest of the semi-sweet chocolate chips and pecans, and then bake for 35 to 40 minutes.