Sunday, July 31, 2016

Guest BJ Daniels joins the Clan of the Cake -- #recipe, #romanticsuspense

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Out here in Montana, there are so few writers that most of us know each other, and I'm delighted to say many of us have become good friends. Romantic suspense writer BJ---Barb---Daniels and I first met at Bouchercon, the mystery convention, many years ago, and have seen each other at numerous writers' conferences and fan events in the years since. One of the highlights of last summer was teaching with her at the Get Published! Conference in Bozeman, and another was a book talk in Billings, where we interviewed each other!

For those of you tracking such things, she is definitely Clan of the Cake---and her recipe might even convert me!

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of INTO DUST.

B.J. DANIELS: I love cooking and food, so of course my characters EAT. I once read a book where the villain was making his famous enchiladas. I couldn’t believe the heroine escaped before she got to taste them. That would never happen in my books. Food is so important that I was writing one day and my character had just taken a bite of my Oatmeal Cake, a favorite of mine. I stopped typing to reach for a bite of the cake myself and realized, regretfully, that my character was the only one who had the cake!

I got this recipe from an old college friend and it has become a family favorite. I love the coconut in the frosting, but you can leave it out. Same with the nuts. It’s still delicious even without the oatmeal in the frosting. The cake is so wonderful that I once served it warm to friends who’d just walked in the door with no coconut, oatmeal or nuts in the frosting. They loved it and had to have the recipe.

OATMEAL CAKE

In a bowl put:
1 ½ cups hot water
1 cup old fashioned oats
Set aside.



In a mixing bowl, cream:
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar

Add and mix:
2 eggs




Add:
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla


Add the oats and water mixture. Pour into a 9x13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Frosting:
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups brown sugar
4 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 cup coconut
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans because I had them)


Boil butter, sugar and milk for 1 min. Add coconut, oatmeal and nuts. Pour over warm baked cake and return to the oven for a few minutes.







Cool as long as you can stand it before eating --- but don't wait too long, or all your neighbors will drop by and eat it first!

Leave a comment below with your favorite cake or a favorite food from a book, for a chance to win a signed copy of INTO DUST. Contest open till midnight, Monday, August 1. 





From INTO DUST, part of the Montana Hamiltons series:

As the daughter of a presidential candidate, Cassidy Hamilton left the Montana family ranch to escape notoriety. But when someone tries to abduct her off a Houston sidewalk, tall, dark cowboy Jack Durand saves her. Only Jack knows more about her kidnapping that he is letting on. On the run, they expose a plot years in the making, but it comes at a price neither could have known.






New York Times and USA Today bestselling author B.J. Daniels lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and three Springer Spaniels, Spot, Jem and Ace. When she isn’t writing, she quilts or spends the summer on the water.  

Daniels writes both series and single title books for Harlequin Intrigue and HQN, and has sold just short of 100 books.

To contact her, write: B.J. Daniels, P.O. Box 1173, Malta, MT 59538 or email her at bjdaniels@mtintouch.net Check out her webpage and blog at www.bjdaniels.com or visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/BJ-Daniels/127936587217837 or on twitter at bjdanielsauthor.







74 comments:

  1. What a fun post - I do love stories with food in them. Characters eating good food. Will be trying this recipe soon. Thanks for the giveaway.
    sallycootie@gmail.com

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    1. Don't you hate it when characters never eat? :) Hope you like the recipe. With fall coming, it is definitely one for those colder days ahead. Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. This sounds great! My favorite cake is Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting. EMS591@aol.com

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    1. Oh wow, that sounds great. I'm also a big fan of cream cheese icing. :)

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  3. I love an ice cream cake using german chocolate cake and rocky road ice cream. Love all your books and thanks for sharing your cake recipe.

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    1. Thank you so much. So glad you're enjoying the books. Hope you like the cake. I too love German chocolate cake and ice cream. :)

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  4. Welcome to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, BJ. I hate to confess this but I've never eaten Oatmeal Cake. Sounds like I've been missing out!

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    1. Hi Krista, oatmeal cake is really moist, plus it's almost good for you. :)

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  5. My favorite cake is olive oil cake. I first tried it in Tuscany and have been in love with it ever since. I love when book characters eat.

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    1. Oh wow Cindy, I've never tried it but would like to.

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  6. My favorite cake is olive oil cake. I first tried it in Tuscany and have been in love with it ever since. I love when book characters eat.

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  7. Oatmeal cake is my 92 year old grandfather-in-law's most favorite cake. My favorite is black forest, but I am not known to turn down a slice of any cake. Thank you for the chance to win. Dmskrug3 (at) hotmail (dot) com

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    1. Your grandfathering-law was a smart man. :) Thanks for stopping by.

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  8. This cake sounds like my Lazy Daisy Oatmeal cake I have made for years and now I think I am going to have to make it today. Oh my.... it is so good. Thank you for the chance to win a copy of your book. I have not ever read your work. Would love to start the adventure.
    karolyn.yoakum@gmail.com

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    1. LOL now I want to make it too. :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  9. Thanks for chance to win your book! Cake looks amazing!Love it when characters enjoy great food!
    key2117 (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. Thanks! All my male characters love it that the female characters love to eat too. :)

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  10. Carrot cake (no nuts) with cream cheese frosting - can't resist it!
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

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  11. This looks yummy - I love oats and pecans! It's almost like a granola bar in cake form, and who wouldn't like that? My favorite cake is my grandmother's red velvet cake with old fashioned frosting (not cream cheese frosting.) And my favorite food from a book is Triple-Threat Firehouse Penne Mac n Cheese from Cleo Coyle's Roast Mortem. I make it quite a bit, though sometimes with different shapes of pasta. Thanks for sharing your recipe and giving away a copy of Into Dust! I love Western romances and this one's going on my to-read list!

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    1. Oh Amanda, we have a friend who brings up a red velvet cake with cream cheese and white chocolate frosting every year. I gain 10 lbs. :)

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  12. My favorite a cake is a lemon and orange cake with just a glaze as a frosting. This oatmeal cake recipe looks awfully tempting---I must try.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

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    1. Your favorite cake sounds like one I would love. I can't say no to lemon.

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  13. Thanks for your great recipe and wonderful giveaway. My favorite cake is marble cake. I bake it for special occasions. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  14. Sounds great! I can definitely Veganize this :)
    Cheers-
    Kelly Braun
    Gaelicark(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  15. Sounds great! I can definitely Veganize this :)
    Cheers-
    Kelly Braun
    Gaelicark(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. With this cake I tell myself it's healthy. :)

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  16. Delectable cake. I love lemon cake, my ultimate favorite. Thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I love lemon pound cake! Well, lemon anything actually. Thanks for stopping by.

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  17. That cake looks amazing! My favorite cake is Dr. Pepper Cake~ bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

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    1. Oh I would love to try that cake. This is making me hungry. :)

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  18. Love to make this very soon but since hubby hates coconut, I will omit. Just need the temps outside to be cooler. I am more of a pie gal are wedding anniversary is on Wednesday. Eight years ago there were seven types of pie for our guests to enjoy. My mom and I made, peach apple, bing cherry, blueberry, rhubarb, French apple, peach rhubarb. Bill and I cut cherry.
    But if I had to pick cake cheese with blueberry topping...

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    1. My daughter and son-in-law are the same way. Had all kinds of pies at their wedding.

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  19. I love cake but don't have favorite.
    Would love to win. Thanks for the chance
    judytucker1947@gmail.com

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  20. So excited for this new book!! Thrilled to pieces you shared this recipe!! I love oatmeal cake & this frosting G sounds delicious, especially since I love coconut!! :) Thank you so much for an awesome giveaway. I was going shopping today, but now will have to revise my list. I am so hoping I am a lucky winner of your book. I love reading about the Hamilton family.

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    1. So glad you're enjoying the series! I love coconut too and can't make this cake too often because it is so good. :)

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  21. So excited for this new book!! Thrilled to pieces you shared this recipe!! I love oatmeal cake & this frosting sounds delicious, especially since I love coconut!! :) Thank you so much for an awesome giveaway. I was going shopping today, but now will have to revise my list. I am so hoping I am a lucky winner of your book. I love reading about the Hamilton family. Since I can't figure out how to add my name & email address, I am commenting anonymously...lol...Mary Anne

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  22. Oohh, sounds good. I admit, I'll leave out the coconut, just not a fan, but I love nuts!

    While I love reading recipes from books, and I even collect cookbooks, I rarely cook from them! I'll say one of my favorite cakes is an ultimate carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting. It may have been store made, but it sure was incredible!

    cozyupwithkathy @ gmail dot com

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    1. I love cookbooks but I usually go to the internet when I need a recipe quickly. But this cake gets made a lot. :)

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  23. I like white cake with buttercream frosting but I'll tell you I'm going to have to make your cake. It looks so good.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  24. I have quite a few favorite recipes from books, among them a cream cheese grilled cheese sandwich and Diane Mott Davidson's snowboarder's pork tenderloin. I want to try many of the Key West recipes but haven't yet.

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    1. I love Diane's book because of all the good recipes!!!

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  25. Thank you for the intro to a new-to-me author. Into The Dust sounds like a wonderful read! I love white cake with lemon curd filling & white buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Yummo!
    sxygrndma48{at}yahoo{dot}com

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    1. Oh yes, lemon, a favorite! I hope you enjoy the book. It's part of the Montana Hamiltons series.

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  26. Pat D (patdupuy@yahoo.com)July 31, 2016 at 3:06 PM

    That looks really good.In fact it reminds me of a recipe Mom used to make years ago. I will definitely write this one down.
    So, yummy cake? I like pound cake, spice cake, and Boston cream pie. Among things. I don't think there is any such thing as a bad cake.

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    1. LOL I agree. I think this is an old-fashioned cake that's been around for a while. Kind of like Boston cream pie.

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  27. The recipe you share looks wonderful and I look forward to giving it a try. One of my favorite cakes is flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce drizzled over it and a spoonful of whipped cream on top. little lamb lst at yahoo dot com
    Lil

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    1. YUM. Okay all of this has made me really hungry. I love raspberry sauce on anything. A little whipped cream, oh yes.

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  28. I guess it depends on who makes or where I get a cake on which is my favorite. One Grandmother always makes me a homemade chocolate cake with homemade chocolate icing and another Grandmother we would share her favorite which is carrot cake with thick, rich cream cheese frosting, then I love my other Grandmother's almond, coconut fudge cake, my Mom's German Chocolate cake and my homemade red velvet cake with vanilla cream cheese icing. So I always have a hard time figuring out which is my favorite. :)

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  29. Congratulations on your release. I truly love to read books that talk about food; it is such a great topic, isn't it?? :) I have a lot of favorites depending on the season. One of my all time favorites is the cake that my Mom would make for my birthday every single year until she passed away in 1999. This was an orange or lemon chiffon cake with about 10-12 eggs in it, and it was extremely moist. If the fresh oranges were not extremely flavorful the first of December, she would make it a Lemon Chiffon Cake, and either one that she made had the matching glaze over the top, a LOT of glaze as I loved it so much. I also love my Flourless chocolate cake which I serve with chocolate whipped cream. I am a big pie lover too. But with memories attached to the Citrus cake made each year by my Mom, that is my favorite for that reason as well as deliciousness.

    Looking forward to reading your book.
    Thank you.
    Cynthia B

    ceblain(AT)tmlponline(DOT)net

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    1. Thank you on my release! The citrus cakes sound out of this world!

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  30. My favorite recipe from a series is chocolate crackers. It's so simple to make and everyone loves it. The first book that every hooked me was Premeditated Marriage. Thank you B.J. Daniels for helping me fall in love with reading. utaker555@gmail.com

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    1. I think I need your chocolate crackers recipe. :) How wonderful that I could help you fall in love with reading. Thank you so much!!

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  31. Welcome, BJ! (Late joining the fun -- I've been away celebrating my mother's 91st birthday!) MLK regulars know Krista and I make a game of Clan of the Cake vs. People of the Pie, and I think we know where BJ's heart -- and stomach -- belongs!

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    1. Hope your mom had a great birthday!! Yes, I do love cake -- and cookies. But I will eat pie too. :)

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  32. That cake sounds really good. I can't wait to go shopping for the ingredients that I don't already have, so I can come back and make it for my family.

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    1. I hope you like it. It's rich, but talk about comfort food especially when it is cold outside -- which won't be long. :)

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  33. I haven't read your books yet, but, want to. My favorite is called crazy cake! Donamaekutska7@gmail.com

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    1. The other recipe that I make all the time from my college friend is crazy cake. Does yours have the really fudge-like icing? It's a favorite of my grandchildren.

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  34. Sounds like a yummy recipe. Thanks for the chance!
    Zeta(at)iwon(dot)com

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  35. This looks like a really great cake, will have to give it a try. My favorite cake is a lemon cake that my Mom used to make.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  36. My grandma used to make a prune cake that I liked so much, I always requested it for my birthday cake. Two layers with a white frosting between and covering it.

    ElaineE246(at)msn(dot)com

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  37. My late grandmother always made wonderful sponge and honey cakes. She gave me her recipes but somehow, they don't taste the same. I love oatmeal cookies so I am sure I'll enjoy your recipe. Thanks for it and the chance to win..
    salvatoresmom71@yahoo.com

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  38. I love a great story and this one had food and a recipe! Awesomeness

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  39. Love the books and especially recipes!
    gingermom25@gmail.com

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  40. Love the books and especially recipes!
    gingermom25@gmail.com

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  41. I had forgotten about oatmeal cake. Thank you for the reminder.

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  42. awesome. iemercedez@aol.com

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  43. This recipe sounds so good another one i will have to share with hubby so he can make when he is home on a weekend. I love the recipes in the backs of the books Blueberry muffin bars is one i love and that was in the back of Fat Cat Takes The Cake by Janet Cantrell. Thank you for coming into the kitchen and sharing such a wonderful recipe and look forward to reading and reviewing your books when I read them. ptclayton2@aol.com

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