If your definition of cake involves a saccharine, gooey confection saturated with frosting, you're outta luck. They have their place and I'm a fan, but it seems like folks have forgotten about the many other things a cake can be--a semisweet, moist, fluffy accompaniment to coffee, tea, fruit, sausage, and other breakfast or afternoon yummies. It's a tragedy that cake can be so many wonderful things, yet its horizons are so limited in the minds of the North American populace. Here are two cakes--the first is perfect for breakfast, the second is an ideal afternoon snack--that you probably shouldn't serve at your four-year-old's birthday party, but that are satisfying and delicious nonetheless.

OATMEAL BREAKFAST CAKE:

This plus homemade sausage patties was hands-down my favorite breakfast as a kid. I'm not sure where my mom got the recipe, but it may have been in a newspaper or magazine. I haven't found it in any cookbook, so here's hoping there aren't problems with copyright infringement.

Cake: Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix 1 1/2 c. quick oats with 1 1/4 c. milk. Let sit for 5 minutes so the oats can absorb the milk. Then add 1/4 c. sugar, 1 t. cinnamon, a few grinds of nutmeg, 1 egg, 1 1/2 t. baking powder, 1 t. vanilla, 1/2 c. golden raisins (optional, can also use the regular kind), and 1/2 c. whole wheat flour and mix until incorporated. Pour 3/4 of the batter into a lightly-oiled 9" cake pan.

Topping: In a separate bowl, while waiting for the milk and oats to blend, whisk together 2/3 c. oats, 2/3 c. brown sugar, 1/2 t. cinnamon, a generous few grinds of nutmeg, 1/4 t. cloves, and 1/4 c. crushed cashews, almonds, or other nuts. The spices are totally approximate, and I usually play around with other ones such as mace, allspice, and ginger--and you should, too! After these are incorporated, pour on 2 T melted butter (canola oil works, too) and stir together until completely incorporated. Sprinkle over the first "layer" of cake batter in the pan, then dab on the rest of the batter in pretty designs (or not) on top of the topping.

GATEAU DE SIROP:

This is an old French-Canadian and French-American specialty popular in New Orleans, Quebec, and other parts of the U.S. and Canada heavily influenced by the French. When I lived in Montreal, my apartment was next to a bakery that sold amazing croissants, tarts, and gateau de sirop. This is my rendition of the cake, which is heavily spiced, not too sweet, deliciously moist, dense but fluffy, and often served with tea or coffee as an afternoon snack. Saveur helped me out a bit with the recipe--including the secret to making it so moist and fluffy--but I've tweaked it so that the flavor and color almost perfectly resembles my favorite Acadian treat.

Preheat oven to 350. Rub a 9" round cake pan with a little butter or oil, and line the pan--including the sides--with waxed or parchment paper. Set aside. Heat 4 T butter in small skillet over medium heat. Wait a few minutes, until butter stops bubbling, starts to brown, and releases a savory, nutty aroma, then add to the butter 1 1/2 t. powdered ginger, 1 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1 t. ground cardamom, and 1/2 t. ground cloves. Stirring constantly to avoid burning, let the spices "bloom" in the butter until very fragrant, about 30 seconds to no more than 1 minute, and remove from heat. Avoiding the temptation to eat the brown butter and spices plain, which is assuredly delicious but can't be good for you, scrape the mixture into a bowl and add 1 c. molasses, 1/2 c. maple syrup (PLEASE use the real stuff!), 1 egg, and 1/4 c. canola oil. Whisk until egg is beaten and all ingredients are completely combined.

Bring 1 c. water to boil in the microwave in a small container, then dissolve 1 1/2 t. baking soda into it. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 c. flour, 1 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. ground black pepper, and 1/2 t. finely ground salt. Mix half of this mixture with the molasses mixture, then add half of the baking soda/water. Add the rest of the flour mixture, and finally mix in the rest of the baking soda and water. Taste the batter and adjust as necessary.

Pour the batter onto the waxed paper in the pan, and once all the batter is in, snip off any long ends of paper hanging loose from the pan. Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the cake passes the toothpick test, then invert pan onto a plate--the cake should slip right out--and peel off the waxed paper. Immediately sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake so that the sugar "melts" and forms a VERY light layer of semi-icing, then wait for a few minutes and sprinkle more so that it looks pretty.

Enjoy, and happy Tuesday!