Nostalgia comes at 4 o’clock in the afternoon when the golden late day sunlight still lingered and had not yet creeped behind the town’s buildings. It was a time just before plunging into the depths of homework where you’d pour milk dangerously to the lip of the glass and cut a large corner piece of snack cake, like this Oatmeal Cake.
For the Cake:
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts (optional)
To make the cake:
see continuation on next page
