CHOCOLATE OATMEAL CAKE

See UPDATE below.

This just might be the first time I have been served a dessert that I really enjoyed and a couple of days later I made it -- not once but twice in one morning. 

Friend Vicky had the group over on Tuesday for an afternoon of canasta and served this Chocolate Oatmeal Cake. She said it was one of her mother's recipes. She has served us other family recipes and they have always been delicious and just a little bit different. (Vicky is from Canada and so I don't know if that's why they always seem to be just a little bit different.)

When I decided to try the recipe this morning, I allowed my creative juices to flow and made a couple of changes. Nothing extreme. I have friends who like my recipes because they are diabetic and need to avoid the sugar. I am not diabetic, but I try to avoid using real sugar as much as I can. I do this with regular recipes so I always say you can make it using sugar if you like.

If the recipe calls for brown sugar, I just substitute my truvia (brown) sugar complete. For sugar, I substitute stevia. If the recipe calls for a cake mix, I substitute the Zero Sugar yellow or Devil's food cake mix.

Vicky served her cake with whipped topping. I thought I had some canned Zero Sugar frosting, but didn't so I left the first one plain but topped the second one with coconut and then baked it. It gave it a slight German Chocolate Cake look. I could have added some chopped pecans with the coconut, but didn't. You can also sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the cooked cake, stick it back in the oven for about 2 minutes to heat up the chips and then spread the softened chips with a knife for a thin frosting. I thought the toasted coconut looked pretty on top.

Print recipe.

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL CAKE

 1/2     cup oats (I used quick oats)

1          cup boiling water

2         tablespoons cocoa

1          cup brown sugar (I used truvia brown sugar complete)

2         large eggs

1          stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1          cup flour

1         teaspoon baking powder

1/2     teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/4     cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 - inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Measure the oats and add to boiling water. Stir. Set aside.

Combine brown sugar and cocoa in a mixing bowl until well blended.

Add eggs and softened butter. Stir until mixed together with a spatula.

Add cooled oats/water mixture. (All of the water should be absorbed.) Stir.(Forgot to take a picture.)

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together to blend. Add to the wet mixture along with the 1/4 cup of water.

Stir until well blended.

Pour into prepared pan

and bake for 30 minutes or until cake checks done with a toothpick. Cool on wire rack.

Serve with ice cream or whipped topping. You could also frost it if you liked with your favorite frosting. (When Vicky served it to us.)

The second time I made the cake, I sprinkled 1/2 cup of coconut evenly on the top of the batter and then baked it.

I took this one to our neighbors as a Thank You for allowing us to add a little bit to his load to the landfield. They were very pleased. Said it would be their dessert for the evening.

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You could add chopped nuts also if you liked. Don't be afraid to experiment.

UPDATE: I challenge you to be creative and make this recipe your own and I would love to hear from you if you did.

My husband sometimes has difficulty eating chocolate and so he told me he didn't want a chocolate cake. I really wanted to make the recipe again and so I decided to make a coconut cake, one of his favorites. I omitted the chocolate thereby just making a light colored cake. I also added a capful of coconut flavoring and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.

After I poured the batter into the pan, I sprinkled another 1/2 cup of coconut evenly to the top.

It took longer to bake it, about 40 minutes. I just kept checking the center with a toothpick until it came out clean. (They do make unsweetened coconut, if you are making the cake for someone who is diabetic.)

We enjoyed it with our favorite ice cream. (Who says it has to be vanilla?)

APPLE PIE CAKE

 I love baking in the fall. Your kitchen is full of delicious smells without feeling so hot. And what says fall better than apples and cinnamon. Well, maybe pumpkin and spices but I will leave those for another day.

Yesterday was canasta afternoon with friends and Friend Fran was hosting. Since I make the dessert for her to serve since she doesn't do much cooking anymore, I have been on a search for several days trying to find something to bake.

This recipe was called Apple Pie Bread and it was supposed to be baked in two loaf pans.  That would have been okay, but I really preferred to have something a little more inviting than a slice of quick bread. Problem solved as I decided to make a Bundt cake instead.

I have a fancy Bundt pan which may or may not be an actual Bundt  brand, that I bought a few years ago from Hillcrest Thrift Shop that I like to use as the shape is a little different from the traditional Bundt pan. Some cakes that I have cooked in it didn't really show off the design because the batter was less, but that was no problem with this recipe. Since boxed cake mixes are smaller than they used to be, the added cup of flour added volume to the batter and filled the pan up nicely.

I was really pleased with how it turned out. The only thing I might have done differently is making a powdered sugar glaze and drizzled over it, but another friend who was filling in to make six players, can't do dairy. I just sprinkled the powdered sugar over it which soaks up after a while because the cake is so moist.

My friends really enjoyed it too.

Print recipe.

APPLE PIE CAKE

1     (21 ounce) can apple pie filling (No-Sugar-Added apple pie filling works)

1      box yellow cake mix (Sugar Free works)

4     eggs

1      cup self-rising flour *

1      tablespoon cinnamon

1      medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

Cinnamon/sugar for topping

*or 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder+1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Set aside.

Whisk together in a large bowl the cake mix, flour, and cinnamon.

If substituting the all-purpose flour for the self-rising flour, premix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt before adding it the cake mix.

Mash the apple pie filling so that the apple slices are in chunks.

Lightly beat the flour eggs together in a smaller bowl. Add the pie filling and the eggs to the dry ingredients stirring just until combined. 

Fold in the chopped apple. 

Make sure all of the dry ingredients are mixed in.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread out evenly.

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the cake.

Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the cake.

Cool 20 minutes in pan on a wire rack

before removing to platter. 

Allow the cake to cool. 

This is a very moist cake so just before cutting to serve, dust the top with powdered sugar.

MAKEOVER SWEET HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

 

I love a moist, rich cake that is simple to make. And if it is sugar-free or no-sugar-added, that makes even better since Wayne and I try to reduce our sugar intake. I know everyone isn't like us though so if you want to use a banana cake mix that will have lots of sugar, feel free to do so. The cake will still be moist and rich and simple to make. You can also use the vanilla frosting in a container that has sugar to use. (If I wanted to use one that wasn't SF though I would use the cream cheese variety.)

I made the cake for the canasta group that met at our house on Tuesday on Monday so it would be even more moist. I knew they would be excited about the choice and they were. Friend Vicky wasn't there so it was just four of us. That meant there was more leftover for us, but I did send some home with Friend Fran and to Friend Janice's husband Leon to enjoy.

Print recipe.

MAKEOVER SWEET HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

1       8 - ounce can of crushed pineapple (or 1 cup with some juice from a larger can)

1/2   cup mashed ripe banana (1 banana)

1/4   cup milk

2       eggs

1       teaspoon banana flavoring

1       Sugar Free yellow cake mix (or banana cake mix)

1       6  - ounce can sugar free vanilla frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. (I used Baker's Joy spray.) Set aside.

Beat together the first five ingredients ( crushed pineapple - banana flavoring ) in a large mixing bowl at low speed until

completely blended.

Add the cake mix and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Pour batter into the pan and smooth out evenly. 

Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. (Cake will also be pulling away from the edges of the pan.)

Cool 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Then remove the cake from the pan and continue to cool completely on the wire rack.

Remove the plastic lid and the foil seal on the container of frosting, and microwave for 15 to 20 seconds or until pourable. Let rest for1 minute and then drizzle over the cake allowing around the center of the cake allowing the frosting to drizzle down the inside center and outer edge. 

Chop some pecans and sprinkle over the top. Press lightly to make sure they will stay on.

AMISH CHOCOLATE APPLESAUCE CAKE

 Yesterday afternoon I hosted the canasta group. Two of the members have soy or dairy issues so I had to look a little longer for a recipe I could make. The recipe called for shortening (lard, actually) and no milk so I thought I was good. I wasn't sure if I had chocolate chips which the original recipe called for so when I was at Aldi I thought I would buy a package just in case. Surprise! Surprise! The chocolate chips, actually all of the baking chips, contained milk and soy. I had no idea about the soy.

So I had to put on my creative cap and came up with substituting dried cranberries and they were so delicious on top of the baked cake. I had to keep checking it to see if it were done because I wasn't sure what size baking dish to use since it was not included in the recipe which took me away from the canasta game but it was worth it. My version was nice and thick because I used a glass 8 x 11 inch baking dish, but I would use an aluminum pan next time. And there will definitely be a next time for sure. It was so moist and light tasting.

PRINT RECIPE

AMISH CHOCOLATE APPLESAUCE CAKE

1/2     cup shortening

2        eggs

1-1/2  cup sugar

1/2     teaspoon cinnamon

2        cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2     teaspoon salt

3        tablespoons cocoa (I used unsweetened special dark)

2        cups applesauce (I used natural chunky)

1/2     cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1/2     cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. Set aside.

Cream together the shortening, eggs, sugar, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. (I just let it beat while I prepared the dry ingredients so it was nice and light and creamy.)

Sift together the dry ingredients twice in another bowl. This will make sure that the cocoa is well blended with the flour, etc.

Add the dry ingredients and the applesauce alternately to the creamed mixture beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Sprinkle the nuts on top and then the dried cranberries.

Bake until done in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. (I baked mine in a glass 8 x 11 inch dish and had to cook it longer.)

Cut into squares to serve. Best while still warm. So moist and light.