

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 Sometimes the simplest desserts really are the best, like a plain Jane chocolate chip cookie or a single scoop of ice cream on a cake cone. This cake falls right into that category. There’s no grandiosity or splendor associated with it. It’s a single layer oatmeal cake baked in a 9 x 13 and topped with frosting. Something about the marriage of the cake, studded with chocolate chips and hints of cinnamon, and the cream cheese frosting makes for a downright magical cake.
Pin It 
From the Baked Explorations cookbook, I first saw it on Dana Treat’s site and liked that she dubbed it appropriate for brunch OR dessert. My kind of cake! I managed to avoid it for the first half of the day, but in full disclosure, it was the first thing on my mind when I walked in the door after work!
 I also served it at a dinner party we hosted, where the reactions proved my theory that simple desserts sometimes reign supreme! This is one of those basics I’ll return to again and again—I may have liked it even better than the Banana Cake Bars withCream Cheese frosting (although I definitely need to remake those with the addition of chocolate chips!).

One Year Ago: Fudgy Cosmic Brownies
Two Years Ago: Healthified Zucchini Bread
Three Years Ago: Cranberry Cole Slaw

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
as seen on Dana Treat, from the Baked Explorations Cookbook

for the cake-
-8 oz chocolate chips
-1/2 tsp bourbon
-1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
-1 cup rolled oats
-1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature
-2 eggs, slightly beaten
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

for the frosting-
-3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
-8 oz cream cheese, softened
-2 cups confectioners' sugar
-1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl and toss them with the bourbon. Sprinkle 2 tbsp flour over the chips and toss until coated. Set aside.
2. Place the oats and butter cubes in a large bowl. Heat 1 1/4 cups water to boiling and pour the boiling water over the oats. Stir to moisten the oats and melt the butter. Allow to sit for 25-30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking dish with foil. Grease foil and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl from the oats, whisk together the eggs, both sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon until combined. Fold in the cooled oatmeal and stir until well combined. Gently fold in the remaining flour, followed by the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. To make the frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add the cream cheese, beating until combined. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.
7. Store cake in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.