My neighbor Karin forwarded this recipe to me in an email (a hint perhaps?) so I decided to make it for her for Christmas.  It’s a Cooking Light recipe but doesn’t taste like it (Karin gave me a bite when I took it down to her)!  I found these cute little Christmas tree cake pans and the recipe made 2 of those or you can make 1 bigger one.

Cake:

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup hot water

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup chunky applesauce

1/3 cup honey

2 eggs

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted (I left mine slivered)

optional toppings:

frozen fat free whipped topping, thawed

cinnamon

1  Preheat oven to 350.

2  To prepare cake, combine oats and hot water in a small bowl and set aside.

3  Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, applesauce, honey and eggs and beat on high for 1 minute.  Add oat mixture and beat on low until well blended.  Add half the flour mixture to batter and beat well then add remaining flour mixture and beat well again.  Pour batter into 11 x 7″ baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Place dish on wire rack.

4  To prepare frosting, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.  Add brown sugar and honey and cook 2 minutes or until bubbly, stirring constantly.  Stir in almonds.  Quickly pour frosting over cake and spread evenly using a rubber spatula.

5  Preheat broiler.

6  Broil cake 1 minute or until frosting is bubbly and golden.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Serve with whipped topping and sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.

1 cake = 16 servings, 1 serving = 255 calories