This easy oatmeal cake recipe is moist, hearty, and uses basic ingredients found right in your pantry. The perfect cake for an afternoon snack!
I love recipes that don’t need any planning. Nothing needs added to the grocery list, and you don’t have to think ahead. This oatmeal cake recipe is exactly that. I’m willing to bet that you have all the ingredients needed to make it, right now, in your pantry. This cake is incredibly moist, because the oats are soaked before being added to the cake batter. It’s an easy step that takes just a minute, but makes a big difference.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This oatmeal cake recipe was on an old card in my recipe box, in my mother’s handwriting. It calls for a brown sugar frosting, which I opted to leave off, but included in the recipe variation section. The powdered sugar dusting makes the cake look pretty, and adds just the right finishing touch. There’s something about this recipe that reminds me of when I was a young girl…it’s homey and hearty, simple to make, and delicious.
How To Make Oatmeal Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the oatmeal in a medium bowl and add the boiling water.
- Stir and let cool.
- In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the brown sugar, butter, eggs, and one teaspoon vanilla. Mix until well combined and fluffy.
- Add all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix well, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of bowl.
- Add oat mixture and mix until combined.
- Pour into 8 x 8 inch prepared baking dish.
- Bake 25 – 30 minutes until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Recipe Variations
- Add 3/4 cup raisins to the oatmeal/water mixture. The raisins will plump up, and add a sweet texture to the cake.
- Add 1 cup finely chopped walnuts to the cake batter at the very end.
- Other add-in ideas: mini chocolate chips, Craisins, chopped dried apricots.
- Instead of dusting the cake with powdered sugar, serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip.
- Here’s the brown sugar topping from my mom’s recipe card in case you want to try it. Mix together the following:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter (very soft)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup coconut
- At the end of the baking time, remove the cake from the oven. Switch the oven to broil. Spread the topping on the cake, and broil for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the coconut is toasted. Watch very closely!
Frequently Asked Questions
Old fashioned oats absorb moisture better, and they give this cake the best texture. So skip the quick oats!
Yes. Just wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap, and then place them in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Simply cover the baking dish with plastic wrap. After a day or two, store this oatmeal cake in the refrigerator.
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Easy & Hearty Oatmeal Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose lour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (use 1/4 teaspoon if using salted butter)
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the oats in a medium bowl and add the boiling water.
- Stir and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until well combined and fluffy.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Mix well, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of bowl.
- Add oat mixture and mix until combined.
- Pour into 8 x 8 inch prepared pan.
- Bake 25 – 30 minutes until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you
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Delicious and easy! Made this tonight for my husband and son and we all loved it. I didn’t have a full cup of coconut, so I just used what I had (about 1/4 cup) and tried to adjust the other ingredients to try the topping. It was just enough to give it a little extra something on top. Will definitely make it again.
Great cake!