Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is my favorite cookie and favorite frosting in cake form! And can you believe it is in the breakfast section of the awesome book Baked Explorations. At first, I thought having this cake with cream cheese frosting for breakfast was a bit of a stretch. But I guess the oatmeal counts for something, huh.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner – enjoy it any way you like but make sure to enjoy it. It’s quick make – requiring no special ingredients or baking techniques. And it makes a great base for whatever floats your boat. I wanted my cake a little spicier so I added a pinch of nutmeg. And I threw in some walnuts cuz nuts are my thing.

And I make accidentally spilled more bourbon and chocolate chips in there too. Cuz when did a little extra chocolate and bourbon hurt anyone, right?

The possibilities are endless, so go crazy go crazy!

Ingredients:

Yield: One 9 by 13 Cake

For the Cake

• 8 ounces bitter sweet chocolate chips;
• 1/2 teaspoon bourbon;
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour;
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats;
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, at room temperature;
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten;
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar;
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar;
• 1/2 teaspoon salt;
• 1 teaspoon baking soda;
• 1 teaspoon baking powder;
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon;
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg;
• 1 cup chopped walnuts.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter;
• 5 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened;
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted;
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position the rack in the center. Spray the sides and bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat 1 1/4 cups water to boiling.
2. Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl and toss them with the bourbon until covered. Then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the flour over the chips until coated and set aside. (This will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.)
3. Place oats and cubed butter in a large bowl and pour boiling hot water over. Wait 30 seconds and stir to moisten all the oats and melt the butter. Set the mixture aside for 25-30 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, both sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined. Gently fold in the remaining flour and then the chocolate chips and walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bakes the cake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan or on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
6. To Make the Frosting – Beat the butter until it is completely smooth (can be done with a stand or hand mixer). Add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat until completely smooth.
7. Spread a thin layer of the frosting on the cooled cake. The frosted cake can be kept, refrigerated and tightly covered, for up to 3 days.