White Chocolate Caramel Oat Cake

If I had to pick a favourite cake, this would be it.
I remember when I was about 5 or 6 Mum and Dad would take me out to this place called Evan's for lunch and we would always share a piece of an oaty, caramely cake with sour yoghurt. When Evan's closed I thought I would never get to eat my favourite cake again :(
About ten years later I found this recipe in a Jo Segar cookbook. It looked very similar, and when I baked it I was amazed to discover it tasted exactly how I remembered the cake from Evan's tasted.
Everyone who has tried this cake loves it too. It's kind of like a really nice Anzac biscuit with caramel.

INGREDIENTS FOR CARAMEL:

• 1 x 400g can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsps. golden syrup
• 150g butter

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:

• 1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 2 eggs
• 250g butter melted
• 1 tbsp. vanilla essence
• 1 cup white chocolate buttons/white chocolate pieces

Caramel:
To make the caramel, place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and still over a medium heat until well combined and smooth. Allow to cool. (If there is too much butter and some is floating on top, just carefully tip of the extra butter.) Don't worry if your caramel seems to catch on the bottom a little so long as it doesn't taste burnt.

Cake:
Preheat your oven to 180C.
Line a 25-26 cm spring form tin with baking paper.
To make the cake, place all the dry ingredients except the chocolate buttons in a large bowl and mix well. Beat the eggs, melted butter and vanilla together, then mix into dry ingredients. Press three-quarters of this mixture into the prepared tin (so there are no gaps).
Pour caramel over base, then crumble the remaining cake mixture on top.
Bake for 45 mins until golden brown.
Cool completely in the tin.
When cold melt the white chocolate in the microwave or stovetop, and drizzle over the top of the cake.

Keep cake chilled in fridge or serve warmish.
Serve with thick yoghurt, whipped cream, ice-cream or all three.
ENJOY
(From Jo Segar, The Cook School Recipes, Random House, New Zealand).

And no, the Ready Clingwrap is not a subtle product placement, I just forgot to move it.