maple oatmeal princess coffee cake

Desserts

Maple Oatmeal Princess Coffee Cake

This is a riff on the Oatmeal Coconut Princess Coffee Cake from Jim and Patty's, a local coffee shop. It's a moist, tender, decadent coffee cake with a somewhat gooey coconut pecan topping. I wasn't able to perfect it in time for the maple contest, but now I think I've got it! I used a recipe for Coconut-Topped Oatmeal Cake I found online from Taste of Home as my starting point. I slightly prefer the mace to the nutmeg, but both work well with the maple flavor. I prefer the texture of sweetened shredded coconut in the recipe, but if you can't find it, sweetened flaked will work. The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13- by 9-inch pan if desired.

Ingredients

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup boiling water
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground mace or freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup maple syrup (grade b or dark amber grade a)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
coconut pecan topping
1/3 cup maple syrup (grade b or dark amber grade a)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, lightly packed
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons créme fraîche or sour cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º F with a rack near the middle.
Place oats in a small bowl, and add the boiling water. Allow oats to soften and soak up the water, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, butter an 8-inch square baking pan, and set aside. Place remaining dry ingredients (flour through salt) in another bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl, using a stand or hand mixer. Once the mixture is light and fluffy, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat until well combined. Scrape the bowl again. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Add half of the dry ingredient mixture. Beat to combine, starting on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, then increasing to medium until well combined. Add the oatmeal mixture, and again beat to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and beat to combine. Beat an additional 30 seconds to help create structure.
Transfer batter to prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out with no more than a few crumbs clinging to it.
While the cake is baking, make the topping. Combine the butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low until the butter is almost fully melted, then increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil, then allow it to boil for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Remove mixture from the heat, then stir in the créme fraîche and vanilla. Once the mixture is homogenous, stir in the coconut and pecans. Set aside.
Remove the cake from the oven. Pour the topping over the center of the cake, and use a fork to spread the topping evenly over the surface of the cake. Scrape any remaining syrup from the pan and drizzle over the cake. Allow to cool completely on a rack before serving.