About that Chocolate-Ginger Oatmeal Cake

[acmespaceship]

In which I make good on the shortcomings of my previous post.

Chocolate-Ginger Oatmeal Cake
Grease a 13x9 cake pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

This will require three bowls.
In a small heat-resistant bowl, mix the following and set aside to cool:

• 1 cup rolled oats


• 1 and 1/2 cup boiling water

Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients in the second bowl and set aside:

• 1 cup flour


• 1/2 cup cocoa


• 1 tsp baking soda


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 tsp ground ginger


• 1 tsp ground nutmeg


• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

In the third bowl get down to business and cream:

• 1/2 cup butter (one stick)


• 1 and 1/2 cup sugar

Then beat in:

• 2 eggs


• 1 tsp vanilla

Beat until it looks like cake batter.  Honestly, do I have to explain everything?  Then add:

• The oatmeal you started with (not the webcomic)

Beat for a minute or two until the whole thing looks fluffy, and then stir in the dry ingredients just enough to combine.

Scrape it all into the cake pan and bake for about 30 minutes.  It's done when it pulls away from the side of the pan, a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, the top springs back when you touch it with your finger, all that.

This is the beta recipe and results in a mildly spicy cake.  You may want to adjust the amounts of ginger, nutmeg and cloves.  Maybe add cinnamon.  Or... chopped green chilies!  Yes!  Science never rests...