Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

• 1 ⅛ cups (100 g) rolled oats, soaked in 300 ml boiling water
• 1 stick (115 g) butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups (250 g) sugar (150 g soft light brown and 100 g caster)
• 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg and ½ tsp fine salt
• ¾ stick (85 g) butter, 100 g soft light brown sugar and 60 ml heavy cream, for the topping
• 1 cup (80 g) shredded coconut and 60 g pecans, chopped, for the topping

Method

1. Soak. Pour 300 ml boiling water over the oats, stir once and leave for 20 minutes. Oven to 350°F (180°C, fan 160°C); grease and line a 23 cm (9 in) square metal pan.
2. Cream. Beat the butter with both sugars for 2–3 minutes until fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla.
3. Fold. Stir in the soaked oats — now a thick porridge — then fold in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt until just combined.
4. Bake. 30–35 minutes, until risen, springy and a skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake in its pan.
5. Top. Melt the butter, brown sugar & cream in a small pan and simmer 1 minute; stir in the coconut, pecans, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Spread gently over the warm cake.
6. Broil. 2–3 minutes under a hot broiler until bubbling and deep golden. Do not take your eyes off it — it burns fast. Cool before cutting into 12 squares.