OLD FASHIONED OATMEAL CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and Grease and Flour a 9x13 pan or a 9" round spring-form pan. Grease and flour all pans even darker non-stick pans. In the two pictures above I used the 9" spring-form pan.
• 2. Put 1 stick of margarine the quick oats and the boiling water in a small bowl and set aside for about 20 minutes to completely melt the margarine and allow the oats to soak up the water. Stir after 20 minutes.
• 3. In a larger mixing bowl mix together white suger, brown sugar, eggs, flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla. With electric beaters.
• 4. Add the oat mixture to the second mixture and blend well with an electric mixer. Do not over-beat the batter; just mix until well incorporated. Scrape the bowl with a spatula and turn the batter making sure you have everything on the bottom mixed in well.
• 5. Pour batter into a prepared 9x13 pan or a 9" round spring form pan. Bake the 9x13 pan for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For a 9" round spring form pan bake for 45 to 50 minutes checking after 45 minutes for doneness. Continue to bake as needed in increments of 3 minutes at a time. The cake should be pulling away from the pan a little and the center should spring back when lightly touched.
• 6. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. While the cake cools, mix the topping ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring all the time. Remove from heat and spread over the warm cake in the cake-pan.
• 7. Put the cake under the broiler to brown the entire top. Make sure you watch carefully as the sugar and butter heat quickly and will burn if not watched carefully.
• 8. You can serve directly from the 9x13 cake pan or if you want a nice presentation, you can bake in a spring-form pan and once completely cooled, run a spreading knife around the cake and remove the spring-form ring, you can serve directly off of the spring-form bottom or run a spatula under the cake and carefully slide the cake onto a large serving dish before cutting and serving.