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Oatmeal Cake

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Oatmeal Cake – a tender and moist classic oatmeal cake that is topped with a coconut and pecan streusel!

We all have those recipes that our grandma or mom used to make, and this is one of those. Classic Oatmeal Cake has been around forever, and it is one those that everyone seems to remember from when they were a kid. It is super easy to make, and not just your average cake!

I always have a big canister or oats on hand for recipes like Protein Balls, or our favorite Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars or even just Chocolate Oatmeal for breakfast. So this cake can really happen anytime!

slice of oatmeal cake on a white plate
Table of Contents show

What Is Oatmeal Cake

This is one of those old fashioned cakes that have been around forever! It isn’t a super light and fluffy cake, like some you might think of. The oats give the cake a chewy and delicious texture. It is almost like the texture of a banana bread.

The cake is topped with not your average frosting. You melt butter and brown sugar together with pecans and coconut to make this delicious streusel type glaze that gets poured over the baked cake. It is over the top delicious.

oatmeal cake ingredients

What You’ll Need

  • Milk
  • Old Fashioned Oats
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Cinnamon
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Brown Sugar
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla Extract
topping for oatmeal cake in a pan

Frosting Ingredients

  • Butter
  • Brown Sugar
  • Milk
  • Unsweetened Coconut
  • Pecans
oatmeal cake with topping in the pan

How To Make Oatmeal Cake

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card to get the measurements and full instructions!

  1. The first step is to soak the oats. Combine the hot milk with the oats for about 10 minutes, while you measure out the rest of the ingredients.
  2. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
  3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter with the brown sugar and white sugar until nice and creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until the eggs are fully incorporated.
  4. Add half of the flour to the butter mixture, followed by the soaked oatmeal (including any liquid in the bowl). Once mostly incorporated, add the remaining flour until everything is just combined.
  5. Pour into the prepared 13×9 inch baking dish and bake until set, 35-40 minutes.
  6. For the topping, add the butter, brown sugar, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, while stirring. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Pour over the cake and spread evenly.
  7. Let stand for about 10 minutes, slice, and serve!
slice oatmeal cake on a white plate
Which oats do I use? Old Fashioned or Quick Cooking?

The recipe calls for old fashioned oats, and it really does make the best cake. If you use quick cooking, they are much thinner, so the texture of your cake is going to be very different. The rolled oats make for a chewier and just better cake.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Yes, it will last for 2-3 days. Just store covered at room temperature, and it should still be great when you go to serve it.

Can I use something other than pecans?

Yes, pecans are the classic topping for Oatmeal Cake, but really any nut will work. Walnuts would be my second choice that would pair well with the flavors. And if you need or want to go nut free, you really can just leave them out.

oatmeal cake on a plate

Recipe Tips & Variations

  • Don’t like pecans? Use walnuts or almonds or you can simply leave them off if you have a nut allergy.
  • Aren’t a fan of coconut? It is still delicious with just the nuts on for the topping.
  • I used 1% milk in this recipe, but really any variety of milk will work.
  • Lots of people love oatmeal and raisins together, you can stir in 1/3 of a cup of raisins into the cake batter for a slight twist on this classic cake.
  • Want more spice? I sometimes add just a little bit of ground nutmeg to really enhance the flavor of the oats.
close up oatmeal cake for pinterest

More Classic Dessert Recipes

Yield: 16

Oatmeal Cake

close up slice oatmeal cake on a white plate

Oatmeal Cake - a tender and moist classic oatmeal cake that is topped with a coconut and pecan streusel!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups hot milk
  • 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 whole large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the hot milk and the oatmeal; allow to soak for about 10 minutes, while you measure the remaining ingredients.
  3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
  4. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until just combined, it will be crumbly. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined and fully incorporated.
  5. Add half of the flour to the butter mixture, followed by the soaked oatmeal (including any liquid in the bowl). Once barely combined, add the remaining flour until the white streaks are gone and the batter has just come together.
  6. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until set, 35-40 minutes.
  7. For the topping, add the butter, brown sugar, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Stir in the coconut and pecans. Pour over the cake and spread evenly.
  8. Let stand for about 10 minutes, slice, and serve!

Notes

(adapted from Taste and Tell)

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

16 Servings
Amount Per Serving Calories 273Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 28mgSodium 185mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 2gSugar 36gProtein 4g

Did you make this recipe?

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© Erin S
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert Recipes

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Filed Under: Cake Recipes, Dessert Recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Heather says

    this sounds good and I will be making it, but oats are not Kosher for Passover. I know because I just had to scramble for a K for P Apple crisp and it used walnuts instead of rolled oats and a quick check of Chabad.org confirmed oats are kosher but not for Pesach.

    Reply

    • Amy @Very Culinary says

      Hi Monica – I used Bob’s Red Mill unsweetened coconut flakes for the topping…they do look different than the common shredded coconut found in the baking section. That would be perfectly fine, too!

      Reply

  7. Melaine says

    Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I haven’t made this in years, and went looking and couldn’t find it. This is EXACTLY the same recipe I made years ago. Going to give my family a memory jog and make this very soon! It is SO GOOD!

    Reply

  8. Ara says

    Your recipe looks delicious, but your comment about it being perfect for Passover is not correct. Neither oatmeal or flour are kosher for Passover.

    Reply

  9. Debi says

    Love the Oatmeal Cake! My mom used to make this to take to friends when there was a new baby or a special need. It got so when we saw it baking, we’d ask “Who gets this one!” The only thing she did differently was to spread the topping on and put it under the broiler for just a few minutes until it got a nice bubbly caramel soft crust to it. YUM!

    Reply

    • Erin S says

      Debbie, I had another blogger share this recipe. I will email her to ask and let you know what she says.

      Reply

  11. Yessenia says

    I made some german chocolate cupcakes and had a good amount of the coconut pecan mixture left. Would i be able to use that on this cake since it’s a bit similar to this coconut mix?

    Reply

  14. Paul says

    Very easy to make, moist and delicious without being overly sweet. Good as both a coffee cake or as a dessert. Rather than just dissolving the sugar though I found it improves the streusel topping if one cooks it a bit further to begin the caramelization process—then add the coconut.

    Reply

  15. Hope says

    I would like to make this using already cooked oats do you have any suggestions on if I should omit the milk entirely or just partially?

    Reply

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