This Oatmeal Cake is a perfect dessert for any time of year. Moist and delicious, topped with coconut and a pecan streusel!
I love oatmeal so much. In all forms. Steel cut, old fashioned, quick…steamed, baked, in cookies, and in cake! Oatmeal Cake, you guys.
If you want to learn about all the different types of oats and how they’re processed, head over to my Carrot Cake Oatmeal!
My family celebrates Passover and every year I’m always trying to come up with a dessert other than Rugelach (which is super good, but omg, so time consuming.) And it usually involves apples and nuts. But this year, I spotted this oatmeal cake over on Taste and Tell…and boom. Done. I mean oats must be good at Passover, right?
If you don’t celebrate Passover, that’s perfectly ok! This would work for Easter, or just any ‘ol day.
This cake ain’t winning any beauty awards, but what it lacks in appearance it makes up for in taste. It’s so good. Anything with a streusel topping, right?
The oatmeal even makes it a great excuse to serve it for breakfast. Bet your family won’t object to that!
Recipe Variations
- Instead of milk, you can use water (for less calories, but it won’t be as flavorful), or use cream for more richness.
- Replace the pecans with walnuts, or just simply omit them.
- If coconut is not your thing, you can simply omit it.
- Add in a 1/4 cup raisins to the batter.
How to Store Oatmeal Cake
- On the counter: tightly covered, for up to 2 days.
- In the refrigerator: tightly covered, for up to 5 days (bring to room temperature before serving.)
- In the freezer: tightly sealed and covered in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Other oatmeal recipes we love!
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Oatmeal Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cups hot fat-free milk
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the hot milk and the oats; allow to soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add half of the flour to the creamed butter mixture, followed by the soaked oats (including any liquid), then the remaining flour, mixing between additions.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until set, 35-40 minutes.
- For the topping, put the butter, brown sugar, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, while stirring. Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. Stir in the coconut and pecans. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over the cake evenly.
- Let stand for about 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve!
Notes
- On the counter: tightly covered, for up to 2 days.
- In the refrigerator: tightly covered, for up to 5 days (bring to room temperature before serving.)
- In the freezer: tightly sealed and covered in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Cathy says
Could you add bananas to this cake?
Amy @Belly Full says
You could try it. Mashed bananas will add more moisture, though, so you might need to cook it a bit longer. Keep an eye on it.
Chelsea says
This cake looks so delicious. I love reading the comments and seeing how people have been making this cake for years. Look like I’m going to need to get on board! I can’t wait. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Deb says
Has anyone ever used condensed milk?
Bonnie says
I have made this since the 60s . It’s the best cake ever.
Kenneth says
It was so good I love oatmeal so it is nice to know how many ways to use oatmeal. Thank you
Ali says
What a wonderful recipe. Thanks for sharing. I used coconut milk rather than the milk. I added apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries to cake batter! Outstanding!
Deb Bensman says
Do you have a recipe for oatmeal pie
Barb says
This recipe has been a favorite for over 40 years. It certainly will never win The Most Beautiful Dessert award but cannot tell you the number of times guests have been pleasantly surprised at how delicious this nondescript looking cake is….and they usually end up asking for the recipe.
Rebecca says
I changed out coconut for apples and dried cranberries! Delish both ways!!!!
Gwen says
Can you use whole milk?
Amy @Belly Full says
Sure!
Diane Sherman says
Can I use the quick oats which I have on hand? I don’t want to buy the old fashioned oats just for this recipe.
Amy @Belly Full says
It won’t effect the flavor, but it’s not ideal for texture. Try it!
Melissa says
Can we use quick oats for this recipe?
Desi says
What can I substitute for the 1 cup of coconut…I cant eat coconut..the rest sounds delicious
Thank you so much for any suggestions
Amy @Belly Full says
Hi Desi – there isn’t a comparable substitution for coconut, sorry! :(
Linda justice says
Does topping need to be pour on the cool cake or can it be done with cake out of oven?
Amy @Belly Full says
It needs to be spread on top of the cake after it comes out of the oven, as per instructions. Thanks!
Amanda says
I don’t think this answers the OP’s question. Does the cake need to be cool or warm when you top it? I assume warm?
Amy @Belly Full says
Yep, warm! When it comes out of the oven=warm. It’ll be thick and sets up fairly quickly.
Stephanie says
I NEED this cake in my life. And, because it’s full of oats, it MUST be healthy, right? Right!
Joanne says
From what I can see, those of us who don’t have this cake in front of us RIGHT NOW are severely missing out. WANNNNT.
Carol at Wild Goose Mama says
Very nice of you to fill in, so she could take a BREAK. I have a fab oatmeal cake recipe that I got from a friend in high school. Let me tell you the world was flat then. But yours looks soooooooooo similar. So I am going to head over there and take a look.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
Thank you again Amy for filling in for me today! This cake looks amazing!