Groundhog Day Cake

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup quick oats, uncooked
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• Frosting (Royal Icing works well, pictured above)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Heat the water in a pan until boiling, then add the oats and stir. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the chips in a double boiler or carefully in a regular pan, until evenly melted. Set aside to cool. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, soda, and salt and make sure it's evenly mixed. In a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then blend in the oats and the chocolate. Finally, add the flour mix. When it's all evenly mixed together, pour it into a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 1 1/2-inch pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out of the pan onto a flat surface.

Do not ice until completely cool! Royal Icing works well if you don't want to use a store-bought icing; try dusting with cocoa for a picturesque end product.