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:
MY LATEST RECIPESI 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!
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Oatmeal Cake
This old-fashioned oatmeal cake might not win any beauty awards, but one bite and it will instantly become a family favorite!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 16 servings
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.
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I can absolutely see why this would be a family favorite…warm oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon….those are some of my favorite flavors! Looks amazing.
That looks like the perfect comfort foods cake. Love the coconut topping. Mmm….
This was my birthday request cake, every year. Ours has pecan pieces in the icing. Try it, it’s AWSOME. Still love this cake. If you don’t want to make the cake from scratch, you can use a german chocolate cake mix, and it taste great also. Thanks for the reminder, on how delicious this recipe is. Sharon
I love, LOVE homey recipes like this, and generally anything involving oatmeal and brown sugar. Also, I’d like that topping on everything I eat from now till March.
I found this recipe in a journal many many years ago. Only difference was it called for leftover breakfast oatmeal. Such a wonderful cake and it used leftovers! When you bake it the whole house smells good.
I wouldn’t have thought to use leftover oatmeal. What a great idea!!
Can I use almond flour instead of white flour?
I haven’t tried it with almond flour, so I am not sure how it would turn out. Sorry!
There’s an oatmeal cake in our family cookbook, too! It may not look like much, but it’s so good!
My grandmother used to make a cake similar to this called “Mrs. Field’s Cake”. It was my favorite! Instead of oatmeal it had applesauce in it but the topping was like on this cake. I don’t remember it being grainy. Here it is – 1 1/2 sticks of butter, 1 can of coconut, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. of vanilla. The directions were simple – Cream to moisten. When cake is done, spread topping and put back in broiler to brown. And she added – “Don’t burn”. It wasn’t cooked at all. Hope this helps!
I have made this cake for years, Lazy Dazy Cake. You don’t need to cook the topping at all, as lady above says. You have to watch it under the broiler or icing will burn fast, it turns out delicious. Love your other recipes.
My family also has a recipe for Oatmeal Cake, which is nearly identical to yours! The only difference is that instead of coconut in the topping, we use walnuts. It is delicious!!
How delicious does this oatmeal cake look! Craving a bite of one right now.. looks so moist, fluffy and sweet!
Wow that looks incredible! What a moist looking cake.
I have been dying to make one of these cakes FOREVER. This looks like the best thing ever! Old family recipes are the best. I wish I had my Nana’s recipe book!
This cake is calling my name! I can’t wait to try it!
I’ve never heard of an oatmeal cake before-but it looks lovely. I’m so glad that you didn’t have to start over. I hate it when I have to do that.
And because it has oatmeal, I can have it for breakfast?! I love the way you enable me.
you didnt specify but i surmise your drain the excess water off the soaking oats before you add them to the cake batter?
Nope – you just throw it all in there!
If the oatmeal soaks correctly, there is no water left over.
My recipe calls for 1 and 1/4 cup of boiling water poured over the old fashioned oats and let sit for 20 minutes. There is no excess water then. My recipe for the topping calls for 1 cup of chopped pecans as well and you don’t cook the butter and sugar. You cream the ingredients and mix in the coconut and pecans. Put on top of the cake while warm from the oven and broil until it just starts to brown. This is a family favorite of ours and goes over very well at church functions.
Just wondering if anyone has tried it with raisins? Oatmeal, cinnamon and raisins sounds delicious!
I haven’t, but I agree- it sounds wonderful!
Wow, this is the same cake my mom made for us growing up, haven’t had it in a very long time, she used only 1 1/4 cup water, maybe the extra water will make it a little more moist…. Her frosting was a little different – 6 T. butter, 3/4 brown sugar, 3/4 white sugar, 1/4 cup can milk, 1/2 t. vanilla and 2 cup coconut.
Thanks for sharing!
I have a canister of quick oats. Will those work in place of old fashioned oats? Thank you
I haven’t tried, but I’m guessing they would work.
quick oats work fine, thats all I usually have and I have used them for this cake.
Can you omit the coconut?
I’m sure you probably could. I had someone else comment that they make it with nuts instead of coconut.
For the frosting being grainy……., is because when you just melt the butter, don’t bring to a boil and it separates, it is too hot and the sugar turns grainey.
Just watch it and when it melts, remove from heat then add your sugar, milk, and blend then add coconut, spread on cake and then put under broiler.
I considered that – will definitely try next time I make this cake!! Thanks!
I use uncooked, 1 minute oatmeal in the topping in place of coconut.
are you useing sweet coconut or unsweetened
I used sweetened shredded coconut.
we have always called this “4th of July” cake, because for some reason, that was the only time my mama ever made it—but it was something we looked forward to every 4th! And I think the topping is SUPPOSED to be crystalized! It gives it that great texture to go along with the warm goodness of the cake!
I just made this cake. It is delicious. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I will definitely make it again!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I will make this cake and add raisins to it….I will use less sugar also….tooooo sweet
My mom used to make this cake all the time. I never thought I would see the recipe again. Love it.
I have this cake,,,been making it since first year I was married 41 yrs. But,,when I do the flour,,I add cocoa,,,about 3 or 4 TBS,,,or to taste.,,and its awesome. Also topped with panuchea frosting.
Add some carmel pieces to the cake along with some craisins. Top with a can of Dolce De Leche mixed with just enough coconut to make it spreadable and thick then broil it. .. brings back memories!
I have also had this with a cream cheese icing. My favorite recipe for that is simple-a can of Buttercream icing and a box of cream cheese. Dont broil this one though!
If you are having doubts just try the basic recipe. You won’t regret it!
The recipes sounds amazing, but there is more sugar (3 cups) than grains (2 1/3 cups)… wow. I am sure you can cut the sugar by half, and it would still taste great. In fact, it would taste better!
I LOVE this cake! I always half the sugars, add chopped nuts and bits of 3 peeled apples to the batter. I add nuts to the topping as well. When entertaining, if someone’s not had it before, they always look a bit underwhelmed when they hear what dessert is UNTIL they taste it!
I add shredded apple and some raisins to it, its so good, it didn’t even last 24 hours in my house, but there were 3 men there to eat it, plus me…
I have not made this in a long time, but used to bake it frequently. The graininess of the frosting is intentional and is my favorite part. They used to serve this in my school cafeteria in elementary and high school (back in the days when they had cooks that actually had to cook). Several years later, I found it in Joy of Cooking, but did not realize that it was the same cake until I baked it the first time.
I have made this cake for many years It always is a hit with everyone. Another good way for the topping is add walnuts (crumbs) and instead of milk use Evaporated milk Delicious!
One of the easiest cakes ever, I served mine warm and placed a dab of cream cheese frosting then plop my warm cake on top, so good warm
This is the only recipe I have that is written in my grandmother’s handwriting. Her’s was called “Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake.” It is my family’s favorite cake. To address the topping becoming hard, don’t boil the ingredients for the topping. My recipe just calls for the topping to be spooned on top of the cake and then broiled. I broil it until it is bubbly and somewhat browned. My topping calls for: 1 stick of melted margarine, 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of milk, 1 cup of chopped pecans, 1 1/2 cups of coconut. Mix all these ingredients in a bowl and then carefully spoon over the warm cake. Then broil. Hope this helps.
How long did u broil it?
You’ll only broil it for about 1 minute.
Can you make the cake ahead of time and then add the topping later?
I think that would be fine.
I need to dust of this recipe my husband used to ask for it for his birthday. I add mixed nuts to the topping it is soooo good.
Can you make this ahead of time? Or is this best eaten fresh. I am making a few sheet cakes for a party coming up and wanted to do some prep. I know i could go w/ a tried and true Texas Sheet Cake but this looks so good!
I think it would be fine made ahead of time. In fact, I think it actually got better as it sat (even though it didn’t last very long!!)
Made this recipe a few weeks ago. We loved it so much I’m making another tonight. A great fall treat!! Thanks!
I’m so glad you loved it – it has definitely become a favorite here!!
I was just wondering how sweet this cake is, my family loves different deserts; but not if they are too sweet. I really want to make this, but don’t want it to go to waste.
My grandmother made a cake like this and it was GREAT!!! Thanks for giving me the inspiration to make it.
sounds delicious…I want to make this…but can someone please clarify…what does 1 cup of coconut refer to? coconut milk ? cream of coconut …thanks!!
It is sweetened shredded coconut flakes.
It was AMAZING! easy, very sweet, a big hit! Thank you!
I’ve just made your cake. It is just yummy. I’m hoping it will last till tomorrow but my daughter is chomping through it. It is just delicious. The topping doesn’t seem to be at all grainy. Thank you for a very successful recipe.
Yay – so glad you loved it! That’s a hard cake to stay away from!! 😉
This truly was one amazing cake! Gotta admit I fiddled with it a bit and added three diced apples and 1/4 c golden raisins to the batter. Then decided to add pecans to the topping. The hubby, kids and neighbor all declared it to be 5 star restaurant quality! Thank you so much for sharing!
Love your changes – so glad it was a hit!!
Oh my goodness! This is the tastiest, ugliest cake I have ever had/made. I’ve already written (actual pen and paper!) this recipe down in MY family cookbook.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe
Haha – it definitely isn’t the prettiest, but I often think the ugliest things are the tastiest!! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
OMG! This is soooo good! I just made it and it isn’t even cool and I’ve eaten to big pieces. Houston we have a problem!
You say Oatmeal. Does this mean I use old fashioned rolled oats?
Yep!
Wow! Made it exactly as listed! Wonderful! I’m blown away! Thank you so much!
I Just made this recipe it came out Amazing!
The only thing I changed was added a cup of water to the topping while boiling to make it into a syrup and not have that “crunchy” feel. Definitely a house favorite with cream cheese frosting. Thanks! !
How long would this be good for if I did not refrigerate but covered it well and left it out on my counter at room temp?!
Thanks for any info
Cari
Just wondering,,I only have glass 13×9 so if I put under broiler, won’t it break?
I use a glass baking dish and didn’t have any problems. Pyrex does advise against using the broiler, but I’ve never had a problem since it’s only one minute and the pan is completely full.
I have been making this for years. The only difference is, I just mix the brown sugar, milk,butter ,coconut in a bowl add some chopped walnuts and spread on the cake and toast it under the broiler. I use a couple of tsp.of milk. done in 4-5 min at most.
i love the sounds of this recipe and want to make it – what could I substitute for the coconut as I’m not a fan of it – maybe just the topping minus the coconut – worth a try
I would probably just try omitting the coconut.
This turned out amazing!!! I added a splash of vanilla & some pumpkin pie spice for depth, along with raisins. Yummm
I made this using organic sugar, and coconut oil instead of butter. I made my own gluten free flour, and subbed that in, and it is amazing!!!!!
I am so glad it turned out so well with those changes. It’s great to know it can be made healthier!
hello!i was wondering,could you substitute the butter with baking fat(vegetable based)?
I haven’t tried it, but the comment before this one says she used coconut oil and it worked, so I’m guessing you’d have good luck with that!
This is one of the simplest yet best cake I’ve ever made, the hearty oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon and the coconut all come together in perfect harmony of yumminess. Thank you so much for your recipe!
Greetings from Iceland!
I’m so glad it was a hit!
I made this cake tonight. It is so moist and delicious. I only wish I had some ice cream or cool whip to put on top. I actually had all ingredients on hand.
yay – so glad you liked it. I love that it’s made from ingredients I always have!
My broiler is kaput. Do you HAVE to broil the toppng?
Nope, you definitely don’t have to. It just makes the topping kind of crunchy. I haven’t tried it without broiling the top, but I’m sure it would still be delicious!
Made this tonight and it is delicious! Will for sure be making it again.
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it!
Not great…either I made a mistake or this is not a great recipe. Too much sugar – I never thought I could say that, but it was like eating spoonfuls of brown sugar out of the bag. No one in my family liked it.
So yummy! Next time, I think I will add raisins. I like that it is delicious as is, but has a lot of possibilities, like adding fruit and/or nuts.
Neither I nor my family like coconut. Any suggestions for something to substitute for the topping?
Several other commenters said that they have had it with nuts instead of coconut, so that is an option.
I’ve made this and it’s so simply delicious! Thank you!!
Mmm, I made this today, and successfully cut the recipe in half to bake in an 8×8 ” pan. I melted the butter and stirred in the brown sugar till melted, and added the coconut. Poured over the cake and broiled. Delicious. I always used the recipe for oatmeal cake from my Indiana Historical cookbook, but it wasn’t available to me today. I was happy to find this today. I cut the sugar a bit by not using the amount called for even when halved.
I’m so glad to hear that it works well halved!
Baking this right now. Can’t wait to tast it. I’m taking some of the comment suggestions into consideration. I cut both sugars by 1/4c. Other than that I’m following the recipe as written. Yay for oatmeal🎉
I’m baking this right now and it smells amazing! I may skip broiling the topping as I tend to burn things instead of broiling them.. And I also added some vanilla to the cake. Can’t wait to try it!
Yay – hope you loved it!!
hi i made it but mine doesnt look the same like th er topping is different
Finally! I have been looking for a recipe similar to my grandmother’s recipe from when I was a kid. I made this for the first time yesterday evening and it was fabulous! I can’t believe how much it tastes like my granny’s! Also, it was the first time I have ever made a cake from scratch too…usually I just buy a box of cake mix. Perfect recipe and very easy to do. Thank you so much for posting. My family and I will enjoy it!
Hi! If I wanted to use an 8×8 baking dish, how would I adapt the ingredients and baking time? I only have a small toaster oven available right now to use for my baking addiction and I LOVE this cake. I’ve made it before at the regular size, but I need to adjust it this time. Thanks!
I haven’t tried adapting it down, but I’m guessing that it would work. I would probably just try cutting the recipe right in half. I’m not sure on the baking time, but it will be thicker in the 8×8, so my guess would be that it wouldn’t be that much less. I’d keep a close eye on it, but I’m guessing about 10 minutes less baking time. Let me know if you try it and how it works out!
If I’m not using a 8×8 baking pan, how long should i leave in the oven?
If I’m using a 8×8 pan***
This homemade old-fashioned oatmeal cake recipe is incredible! I will definitely cook it for my husband! I found your post from Pinterest ! Thanks for sharing, Deborah!
This cake was absolutely delicious! I’ve made it twice now. Once as is, and this last time I added raisins to the batter, and did 1/2 cup coconut and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for the topping. Both were perfection! Thank you so much!
Wondering if anyone has tried the oatmeal cake with a gluten free flour such as almond flour or gluten free all purpose flour?
Do you put the topping on while the cake is still hot or should we let it cool first?
I do it while the cake is still hot. 🙂