Oatmeal Cake Recipe

This oatmeal cake recipe will knock your socks off! It combines the sweet, warm flavor of cinnamon and heartiness of oatmeal with the tropical richness of coconut topping for an indulgent but wholesome treat.

This is a recipe my mom used to make a lot when I was a child, and it was one of our family’s favorites! I think she originally found it in a budget cook book, but we made some tweaks to it over the years, like replacing seed oils with butter, and replacing sweetened condensed milk with our own concoction, making it both cleaner in terms of ingredients, and more budget-friendly.

It’s still one of my favorites to this day. I love to make it for a quick addition to a church potluck, or to add to an indulgent breakfast, or just for a weekend dessert.

I always liken it to carrot cake – I’m not one to put pineapple or raisins in my carrot cake (it makes more sense if you know that). It’s got some cinnamon, and the oatmeal in it functions a little bit like the carrot – it helps keep it moist, and gives it a bit of texture.

And of course, the coconut topping is reminiscent of the coconut-pecan topping you find on German chocolate cake. That, honestly, is what really makes the treat. I know that coconut can be polarizing, but for me, it’s so good!

Ingredients for oatmeal cake

• Oatmeal – I prefer to use quick oats over old fashioned oats, because I like the smaller pieces that soak up the moisture better.
• Water
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• White sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Cream or half and half
• Coconut
• Pecans

Most or all of these ingredients are pantry staples, which makes this a great end-of-the-month, or end of budget dessert to make your family. I think this is one of the reasons my mom used to make it when I was a kid. Sometimes during my dad’s off season, we would get to the point where she would even say sugar is too expensive, so mixing basic ingredients to make them into a treat was a speciality.

How to make oatmeal cake

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Combine oatmeal and boiling water and set aside
   
3. In a separate bowl, Cream butter and sugars together until light
4. Beat in eggs and vanilla
5. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon on top, and stir together lightly, before mixing it into the butter and sugar mixture
6. Add soaked oatmeal to the mixture, and stir together until all ingredients are fully incorporated
   
7. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch baking pan, and bake in center of preheated oven for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. 5-10 minutes before cake is done, combine butter, cream, and brown sugar from the topping ingredients in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, and heat over medium heat.
   
9. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and continue boiling for about 2 minutes, until somewhat thickened.
10. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and pecans
    
11. When cake is done, remove from oven, and spread evenly with coconut frosting
12. Place in broiler and broil 1-2 minutes, until topping begins to brown
    
13. Remove, and let cool.
14. This cake can be served warm if desired

Storing leftovers

Slice leftover cake into pieces, and transfer to an airtight container. Cake can be stored on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for a week.

More recipes for you

• Strawberry oatmeal bars
• Oatmeal banana bread (flourless)
• Peanut butter oatmeal bars
• Gluten-free strawberry short cake
• French Butter Cake

 

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