This old-fashioned oatmeal cake might not win any beauty awards, but one bite and it will instantly become a family favorite!
This cake almost didn’t make it to the blog. Here’s how it went down:
I was looking through a family cookbook a little while ago, and came across a recipe from my aunt for this Oatmeal Cake. I was intrigued. It seemed so simple – one of those recipes that you’d whip up on a Sunday night for your family. I wanted to try it, and that family cookbook rarely lets me down.
So I made the cake. Simple enough. Nothing fancy.
And then I went to make the topping. As it is with family cookbooks a lot of the time, the instructions were a little bit vague. Like the coconut – it just listed coconut as an ingredient – not how much. So I guessed. Butter and brown sugar are boiled together, then coconut is stirred in before putting it on the cake and then putting it all under the broiler. It seemed simple enough, but I don’t know if I messed up somewhere along the line or if it’s just the recipe, but when I went to spread the topping on the cake, it was totally grainy. Maybe I cooked it too quickly, maybe the sugar from the coconut caused it to crystalize, who knows. But I had already poured it on, so there was no turning back.
I broiled the topping, then put the cake on the counter to cool. I was disappointed, because of that crystallized topping. Right then, I told myself that I’d have to start over.
But then I took a bite.
And another.
And another.
Before I knew it, I had eaten a whole piece. Let me just say – it is very rare for my family to eat a whole dessert. I just make too many, and a lot of it gets given away. But this cake? Gone in 24 hours. All of us loved it. It’s incredibly moist, filled with warm spices, and even though it’s simple, it still packs a punch. And even though the topping was a little bit crunchy, it was so good and addictive.
I just love it when a simple recipe like this becomes a family favorite!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS OATMEAL CAKE BELOW!
More Easy, family favorite cakes:
Pumpkin Pie Cake
Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
Pineapple Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Oatmeal Cake
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
Description
This old-fashioned oatmeal cake might not win any beauty awards, but one bite and it will instantly become a family favorite!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 cup coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the water and the oatmeal and allow to soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Cream together the butter and both sugars. Beat in the eggs. In another bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add half of the flour to the creamed butter mixture, followed by the soaked oatmeal, then the remaining flour, mixing between additions. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until set, 35-40 minutes.
- For the topping, turn the oven to broil. Combine the butter, brown sugar and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, while stirring. Boil for one minute. Stir in the coconut. Pour over the cake, spread, then broil for one minute.
Linda says
Do you put the topping on while the cake is still hot or should we let it cool first?
Deborah says
I do it while the cake is still hot. 🙂
RANDY says
PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR TODAY….AND MAKE THIS CAKE
Sharyn Kevin says
This is an outstanding cake.. easy and delicious
Sharyn Kevin says
The most fabulous cake, easy and I used unsweetened coconut.. Gone in hours.. lol.. thank you!
★★★★★
LuAnna says
My Grandma and my Mom also made this cake—it was the cake I requested for my birthday each year when I was a kid. If I remember correctly, my Mom added some cream instead of milk to the butter and brown sugar mixture (we milked cows, so the cream we skimmed was probably more like heavy whipping cream). Cream combined with sugar (or brown sugar) and butter, would basically make caramel. I don’t recall it crystallizing–the finished topping was glossy and toasty-golden-brown once it was broiled. Review a good recipe for caramel before making the topping, and there will probably be directions for washing down the insides of the pan with a wet pastry brush as the caramel is cooking to keep the sugar from crystallizing.
Candace says
I have been eating this cake for over 60 years, was a favorite of my mother’s, try adding 1 cup chopped pecans to the topping. Changes the taste wonderfully.
Julia Stearns @ Healthirony says
This homemade old-fashioned oatmeal cake is stunning. I’m not a talented baker, but I would love to give these a try!
★★★★★
Beth says
Easy to make, I substituted gluten free flour and added xanthan gum and baking powder and it turned out perfect! Will definitely bake again!
★★★★★
Vickie Allan says
This recipe is so moist. The whole family tried it and most went back for seconds. We let people add their own icing because not everyone can have coconut. It was still a huge hit. We will do again!
★★★★★
Tracie Bailey says
My family loved this cake and asked for the recipe. We will do again. It is perfect for this time of year: fall. Although I imagine it is great anytime of the year.
★★★★★
Judy says
This will be the third time I’ve made this, exactly as the recipe is written. My kids are coming over in the morning and we’ll have some with coffee. It’s the best!
★★★★★
Chris B says
#daddysfavorite
★★★★★