Whole Wheat Caramel Pecan Cake

This is an old recipe and you may remember your grandmother serving you something like it. I take liberties with the recipe and usually make it when I have ingredients I'm trying to use up. You probably have all of these in your pantry today.

I often find I have extra bits of nuts and coconut on hand from other recipes. Here you can use more or less of either of these. I used more here and the topping is more solid. The recipe below will give you a more moist sticky topping, which I actually prefer to the version pictured here. The original recipe card indicated the cake was baked in a 7 x 11 inch pan, which I do not have and have not seen. I make this in an 8 inch square baking pan.

Whole Wheat Caramel Pecan Cake

Ingredients

Cake

1 1/4 cups water

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

 1/4 cup butter, diced

 1 egg, lightly beaten

 3/4 cup brown sugar

 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

 1/2 cup all purpose flour

 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

 1 teaspoon cinnamon

 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

 pinch of salt

Sauce

 1/4 cup butter

 3/4 cup brown sugar

 1/4 cup half and half or whole milk

 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

 1/2 cup chopped pecans

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350F degrees. Lightly spray an 8 inch square baking pan with food release (Pam). Set aside.

In a small saucepan add the water and butter and bring to a low boil. Add the oats and ook for 5 minutes over low heat stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

In a mixing bowl add the egg and the 3/4 cup brown sugar. Stir to combine. Spoon the oat mixture into the mixing bowl with the egg mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Spoon the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, turning the broiler on.

While the cake is baking, make the sauce.

In a medium saucepan melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter. Stir in the brown sugar and half and half and stir until combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut flakes, pecans and vanilla extract. Spoon the sauce over the warm cake.

Return to the frosted cake to the oven and broil for an additional 3 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble and the topping is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature.