Oatmeal Cake with Lazy Daisy Frosting

An oatmeal cake with the kind of broiled brown sugar topping that mid-century American baking lived for. Lazy Daisy frosting goes onto the hot cake and straight under the broiler, where the sugar bubbles, the butter caramelizes, and the chopped nuts toast in about ninety seconds flat. The whole thing turns out somewhere between cake and butterscotch sundae.

The move that gives this cake its dense, moist crumb is soaking the oats in boiling water before they ever meet the batter. The hot water swells the oats and turns them into a soft paste, which holds moisture all the way through baking and keeps the finished cake tender for days.

Double-check your broiler. The frosting goes from golden to burnt in seconds. Don’t wander off, don’t answer the door. Just stand there and watch.

Pro Tips

• Stir the oats in the boiling water and let them sit until the mixture is fully cool before adding to the batter
• Cream the butter, shortening, and sugars until truly light and fluffy. The shortening keeps the cake tender longer than an all-butter version
• Spread the frosting on the cake while both are still hot. Cold cake won’t soak up the broiled glaze the same way
• Position the rack about 6 inches under the broiler so the topping toasts before it scorches

Variations

• Add a half cup of shredded coconut to the frosting for the classic Lazy Daisy finish
• Use pecans or chopped walnuts in the topping for richer nut flavor
• Stir a half cup of raisins or chopped dates into the batter for extra chew