Ah, Oatmeal Cake—that cozy, old-fashioned dessert that feels like it came straight from grandma’s kitchen ☕🍰
Soft, moist, lightly spiced, and usually topped with that irresistible broiled coconut-pecan frosting.
Here’s a classic, foolproof oatmeal cake recipe that’s been loved for generations.
🍰 Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cake
Ingredients
Cake
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1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
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1 1/4 cups boiling water
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1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
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1 cup brown sugar
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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2 large eggs
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
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1 tsp baking soda
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1/2 tsp salt
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1 tsp cinnamon
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Optional: 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Broiled Topping
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1/2 cup brown sugar
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1/4 cup butter
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1/4 cup milk or cream
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1 cup shredded coconut
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1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
👩🍳 Instructions
Step 1: Soak the Oats
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Pour boiling water over oats.
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Let sit 20 minutes until soft and thick.
Step 2: Make the Batter
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
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Cream butter with brown and white sugars.
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Beat in eggs and vanilla.
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Stir in soaked oats (including liquid).
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Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; add to batter.
Step 3: Bake
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Pour batter into pan.
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Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 4: Make the Topping
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In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and milk.
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Bring to a gentle boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Remove from heat; stir in coconut and nuts.
Step 5: Broil
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Spread topping over hot cake.
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Broil 2–4 minutes, watching closely, until bubbly and lightly browned.
⭐ Why This Cake Is So Good
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Incredibly moist (thanks to soaked oats)
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Not too sweet, perfectly balanced
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That broiled topping = caramelized magic
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Even better the next day
🔁 Variations
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Skip topping → serve with cream cheese frosting
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Add chopped dates or raisins to batter
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Make it breakfast-cake friendly by reducing sugar slightly
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Use toasted coconut for deeper flavor
Oatmeal cake is humble, comforting, and secretly addictive—the kind of dessert that never lasts long once sliced.
If you want, I can also share:
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A single-layer small-batch version
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A gluten-free oatmeal cake
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Or a spiced fall version with apples