Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

Happy Birthday Dad

He couldn't decide between an oatmeal cake, which he hasn't had since he was a kid, and a coconut cake. Oatmeal cake is really dense and satisfying whereas coconut cake is light and airy. Totally different.

Hybrid time.

I made an oatmeal cake but omitted the (fattening) condensed milk topping and whipped up some fluffy whipped cream that had been steeped with coconut flakes. Topped with more coconut and sliced bananas, this cake was a perfect combination of my dad's favorite flavors.

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream:

* 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)

* 1 1/4 cups boiling water

* 8 tablespoons, 1 stick unsalted butter, slightly softened

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1 cup brown sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan.

2. Place oats in a bowl. Add boiling water and let stand 20 minutes.
3. Cream butter and sugars, then add eggs and vanilla and stir well.
4. Add rolled oats. Stir in dry ingredients.
5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake 40 minutes.

Coconut Whipped Cream:

* 2 cups heavy cream
* 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
* 2 T sugar
* splash coconut extract

1. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan, but don’t let it boil.
2. Just before it boils, take the cream off the heat and add coconut.
3. Let it steep until it cools.
4. Strain coconut, add sugar and extract.
5. Whip.

Dinner was fish (more of Dad's favorites) but this one was too pretty! Mom said she would eat it tonight but never again. We can only buy ugly fish from now on.