Oatmeal cake the ultimate comfort food

  Nothing says comfort as loudly as warm oatmeal cake, fresh out of the oven with a nutty, caramel topping.

  So when it's cold outside, or you're just not having a great day, why not bake an oatmeal cake to make you - and your loved ones - feel good inside?

  Although it's made with oatmeal and eggs, which provide some nutrition, it's one of those old-fashioned homemade cakes that's also made with lots of sugar and butter (or margarine). So don't eat it unless you're absolutely in the mood for something sinful.

  It goes great with piping hot coffee as part of a Sunday brunch, or with a glass of milk before bedtime. It only takes about 15  minutes to prepare, plus about another 30 minutes to bake.

  So within an hour, you can make the perfect food to warm your belly and your heart.

  I got the recipe from a friend many years ago and have baked it and passed the recipe around ever since. A few years ago, I got the recipe back from one of my aunts who lives in Texas.

  It was in package she had sent me that was full of old family recipes, such as the cake my grandmother used to bake for my dad and his siblings' birthdays. Above the oatmeal cake recipe, my aunt had written: "Here is my old recipe … haven't made this in ages but remember it was good."

  I guess that's a compliment that she liked the recipe so much she claimed it as her own even if she didn't remember I had originally given it to her! Once you try it, you'll probably claim it as yours, too. And why not? I did.

  So preheat your oven, grab your potholders and bake up some delicious comfort food. Make it for the upcoming holidays - or anytime you darn well please. Just be sure to eat it while it's still warm because that's when it's best.

  What the heck, I'll throw in a modified version of my grandmother's cake recipe as well. If you're going to be Suzy (or Johnny) Homemaker, you may as well go all out.

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OATMEAL CAKE

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  Pour 1-1/4 cups of hot water over 1 cup of dry oatmeal and set aside. Cream 1/2 cup of butter or margarine with 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of white sugar. Add two eggs, mix well and beat.

  In a separate bowl, mix 1-1/3 cups of flour with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Add 1/2 cup of raisins (optional).

  Stir dry ingredients into creamed mixture and add oatmeal. Mix well. Pour into lightly greased and floured 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

TOPPING
  While cake is baking, mix 1 stick of butter or margarine, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of canned milk and 1/2 cup of nuts together. As soon as cake is done, remove from oven and spread topping on it. Return to oven just long enough to melt the butter. Serve immediately while warm from the oven.

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ALMOND CAKE

1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 cups of flour
Dash of salt
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream oil and sugar, add eggs and mix well in a large mixing bowl. In a separate large bowl, mix dry ingredients together. In a measuring cup, mix milk with vanilla and almond extracts. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk mixture to creamed mixture. Mix, but do not beat.

  Pour into two lightly greased and floured round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and set out to cool while you make frosting.

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ALMOND COCOA FROSTING

6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup cocoa
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

  Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix cocoa with sugar in separate mixing bowl. Mix milk with vanilla and almond extracts in a measuring cup. Alternately add milk mixture and dry mixture to creamed butter. Blend until smooth and creamy. Spread over top and sides of first cooled cake layer. Add and frost second layer of cake.