Oatmeal cake is a deliciously cozy, soft, fluffy and moist oatmeal cake topped with a decadent caramelized brown sugar coconut and pecan frosting. This old fashioned oatmeal cake is wonderfully easy to make, flavorful and is the perfect cake for any gathering.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I love a simple, but flavorful flavorful cakes. My Hot Milk Cake, Condensed Milk Cake, Lemon Olive Oil Cake, Vanilla Pound Cake and Donut Cake are just a few of my favorite cozy cakes recipes on the blog. This recipe for oatmeal cake is another one I am so excited to share with you.
- It has the perfect rich, fluffy and tender texture. This oatmeal spice cake has the perfect buttery, moist, light and fluffy crumb. The cake contrasts beautifully with the sweet and crunchy caramelized brown sugar coconut topping.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients. This old fashioned oat cake is made with simple ingredients that come together quickly and easily making it the perfect cake for any occasion. Think simple ingredients just like grandma would make.
Ingredients
This from scratch oatmeal dessert cake requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make. Here’s what you’ll need.
Oatmeal Cake
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather rolled or old fashioned oats, milk or water, butter, sugar, light brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.
Oatmeal Cake Topping
Gather butter, light brown sugar, milk, unsweetened shredded coconut, pecans, vanilla and salt.
Substitutions
This fluffy homemade spice cake with oatmeal is as easy to make as it is delicious. Here are my recommended ingredient substitutions if you need them.
- All Purpose Flour: To make this spiced oat cake gluten free, use a good 1-1 gluten free flour. Replace the amount of flour based on weight (180 g) rather than cups.
- Old Fashioned Oats: Old fashioned or rolled oats work best for this recipe.
- Baking Soda: This recipe has not been tested using baking powder. Make sure to double check the baking soda is fresh and in date.
- Milk or Water: I prefer to use a full fat milk for the most flavor and the best texture. Feel free to use boiling water instead.
- Ground Spices: Feel free to use your preferred blend of warming spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, all spice). This oatmeal cake recipe uses 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use an equal amount of salted butter in place of the unsalted butter. Just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Granulated and Light BrownSugar: This moist and fluffy oat cake calls for granulated and light brown sugar, but maple sugar would also work well to make this cake refined sugar free.
- Vanilla Extract: This brings a lovely flavor to the cake. Feel free to use vanilla bean paste in place of the vanilla extract.
- Coconut Pecan Topping: Feel free to commit the coconut or swap the pecans for walnuts or other nuts you enjoy. If you prefer to skip the topping all together, I recommended topping the oatmeal cake with brown butter cream cheese frosting, cream cheese frosting or powdered sugar.
How To Make
Learn how to make oatmeal cake in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment paper. Add the rolled oats in a large mixing bowl. Pour boiling milk or water on top of the oats. Allow the oats to sit and soak in the liquid for about 20 minutes.
- In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together until well combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and light brown sugar together for about 3 - 4 minutes or until well combined. Turn the mixer down to low. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract one at a time, waiting until each one is combined before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, alternating with the soaked oats (including all the liquid from the oats) in this order: dry, oats, dry, oats, dry. Pour the oatmeal spice cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake the oatmeal cake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
4. As soon as the cake finishes baking, make the caramelized coconut and pecan topping. Add the butter, sugar and milk to a saucepan. Bring the butter, sugar and milk to a boil over medium heat. Stir frequently to ensure the butter melts and the sugar doesn’t stick to the pan. After about 5 minutes of boiling remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract, shredded coconut, pecans and salt. Evenly spread the topping on top of the warm cake. Allow the topping to set for about 10 - 20 minutes, slice and enjoy. If you want to broil the topping, turn the broiler on as soon as the cake is removed from the oven, prepare the topping, top the cake and broil for about 1- 3 minutes.
How To Serve, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Serve: This vanilla milk cake is perfect when served warm, at room temperature or even cold from the fridge (if that’s your thing!). If you prefer to skip the coconut pecan topping, I suggest topping this cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Store: In an airtight container at room temperature for 1 -2 days. Transfer to the fridge for up to 3 - 4 more days. For longer storage, I suggest freezing the cake.
- Freeze: Individually wrap each slice of cake or the whole cake in plastic wrap. Place each wrapped slice in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Remove your desired number of pieces of cake to sit out at room temperature or in the fridge until fully thawed and enjoy.
M’s Expert Tips
- Use old-fashioned or rolled oats. Quick cooking oats are frequently used to make this oat cake. However, the texture of rolled or old fashioned oats really shines in this cake.
- Use whole milk. More fat equals a more tender and moist cake. When possible, use a whole milk. A lower fat will work well in this recipe as well, but the flavor and texture are superior with fuller fat ingredients.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly which requires less mixing, resulting in moist and perfectly mixed oatmeal spiced cake.
- Don’t overmix the cake batter: Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Make the caramelized coconut pecan topping after the cake bakes. This topping sets really quickly. Wait to make the pecan and coconut topping after the cake bakes. Unlike other cakes, the the cake can be topped while it is still warm.
- Broil the topping or not. This oatmeal cake tastes amazing when topped with the coconut pecan topping. Broiling the topping is optional and completely up to your preferences. If you want to broil the topping, spread the topping on the cake, broil in the oven for 1 -3 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on it so the topping doesn’t burn.
FAQs
Oatmeal cake is a moist, fluffy and tender spiced cake filled with soaked oats. Most oatmeal cakes are topped with a caramelized coconut and pecan “frosting.” Other toppings include cream cheese frosting, brown sugar penuche or with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Make sure to use gluten free oats and a good gluten free 1:1 flour in place of the all purpose flour.
This oat cake can also be baked in (2) 8 inch or 9 inch pans although a 9 x 13 pan is recommended. If you would like to make this oat cake in a bundt pan, make sure to grease the pan really well. Bake the oatmeal bundt cake for about 35 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Feel free to remove the coconut, use any nut you like or use no nuts at all.
Other Oatmeal Recipes to Try
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars
- Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
- Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- 3 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies
If you try this Oatmeal Cake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Oatmeal Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan
- 1 sheet parchment paper
- 1 large heat safe bowl
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 sauce pan
Ingredients
Oatmeal Cake
- 1 cup (90 g) old fashioned or rolled oats
- 1½ cups (360 ml) boiling milk or water
- 1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- 1 teapsoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teapsoon vanilla extract
Caramelized Coconut Pecan Topping
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 cup (60 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped pecans or walnuts
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Add the rolled oats in a large mixing bowl. Pour boiling milk or water on top of the oats. Allow the oats to sit and soak in the liquid for about 20 minutes.1 cup (90 g) old fashioned or rolled oats, 1½ cups (360 ml) boiling milk or water
- In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together until well combined.1½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour, 1 teapsoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and light brown sugar together for about 3 - 4 minutes or until well combined. Turn the mixer down to low. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract one at a time, waiting until each one is combined before adding the next. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, alternating with the soaked oats (including all the liquid from the oats) in this order: dry, oats, dry, oats, dry.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 1 teapsoon vanilla extract
- Pour the oatmeal spice cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake the oatmeal cake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake in the pan.
- As soon as the cake finishes baking, make the caramelized coconut and pecan topping. Add the butter, sugar and milk to a saucepan. Bring the butter, sugar and milk to a boil over medium heat. Stir frequently to ensure the butter melts and the sugar doesn’t stick to the pan. After about 5 minutes of boiling remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract, shredded coconut, pecans and salt.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 cup (60 g) unsweetened shredded coconut , ½ cup (60 g) chopped pecans or walnuts, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Evenly spread the topping on top of the warm cake. Allow the topping to set for about 10 - 20 minutes, slice and enjoy. If you want to broil the topping, turn the broiler on as soon as the cake is removed from the oven, prepare the topping, top the cake and broil for about 1- 3 minutes.
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