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## The Legacy of a Forgotten Baker
Before we jump into the mixing bowls, let me set the scene.
In 1960s Britain, food was just beginning to flirt with boldness. The war had ended, rationing was over, and people were slowly embracing exotic ingredients, foreign spices, and — dare I say it — *flavor*. Housewives started clipping recipes from *Woman’s Weekly* or *The Illustrated London News*, eager to try anything that sounded even remotely continental.
But even then, this recipe would’ve stood out. Oats in cake? Espresso in a glaze? Edith, what were you up to?
As I read through the accompanying letter — written in careful script — it all made sense.
She’d invented the recipe during a summer working in a seaside tea shop. She’d fallen in love (with baking, and, briefly, with a man named Theo), and this cake had been the centerpiece of her creative rebellion.
It was never published. She never served it to guests. She kept it in her journal, tucked away for a day when someone might understand it.
And maybe, just maybe, that someone was me.
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## 🧁 The Recipe: Banana Oat Chocolate Cake with Espresso Glaze
Here’s the exact recipe from Edith’s note — lovingly tested, slightly modernized where needed, but mostly left as she intended it.
### 📋 Ingredients
#### For the Cake:
– 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
– 1 cup hot water
– 2 ripe bananas, mashed
– 2 large eggs
– ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
– ¾ cup brown sugar
– ½ cup granulated sugar
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
– 1 tsp baking soda
– ½ tsp baking powder
– ½ tsp salt
#### For the Espresso Glaze:
– 1 cup powdered sugar
– 2 tbsp strong brewed espresso (cooled)
– ½ tsp vanilla extract
– Optional: a pinch of cocoa or espresso powder for dusting
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### 🥄 Instructions
#### Step 1: Soak the oats
Combine the oats with hot water in a small bowl. Let them sit for 10–15 minutes until softened. This gives the cake its unique texture — hearty, but soft.
#### Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, mix mashed bananas, eggs, butter, sugars, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
#### Step 3: Add the dry
In a separate bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet, alternating with the soaked oats until everything is combined. Don’t overmix — just enough to make a luscious, thick batter.
#### Step 4: Bake
Pour the batter into a greased 9×13-inch baking tin or two 8-inch rounds. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
Cool completely before glazing.
#### Step 5: Glaze it
Whisk together powdered sugar, espresso, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle generously over the cooled cake. Dust with a little cocoa or espresso powder for flair.
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