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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Snack Cake Cut into squares, on a wire baking rack

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Snack Cake

Basically an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie in cake form, this quick and easy snack cake makes for a sweet afternoon treat. It's ridiculously easy, uses only one bowl, and is the perfect balance of sweetness—no frosting necessary.
Yield: 1 8-inch square cake (16 servings)
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • ½ cup / 50 g quick/instant oats*
  • ¾ cup / 185 g near-boiling water
  • ¼ cup / 56 g (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
  • ½ cup / 110 g packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup / 100 g granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅞ cup* / 110 g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup / 120 g mini semisweet chocolate chips
  • powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Place quick oats in a mixing bowl, pour over hot water and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  • Add cubes of butter and gently stir until butter is melted and incorporated.
  • Stir in sugar, and brown sugar, then whisk in the egg and vanilla.
  • Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and stir until almost fully incorporated, then add ½ cup of chocolate chips and fold until evenly distributed.
  • Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and set pan on a wire rack to cool. Use parchment paper to lift cake out of pan. If desired, dust top with powdered sugar before slicing into squares and serving.
  • Cake will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Rolled/old fashioned oats don't absorb quite as completely into the batter, and you will have little bits of chewy oat in the final cake. If that's all you have, they will technically work, however I recommend pulsing the oats a few times in a blender/food processor before proceeding. Also use full boiling water and let the oats soak for 15 minutes instead of 10 to give them a bit more time to soften.
  • 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons, or 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons. Or you could just weight it.