Oatmeal Cake {Old Fashioned Recipe} - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published May 11, 2018. Updated January 6, 2020

Oatmeal Cake is the perfect dessert to make for your mom this weekend! It’s an old fashioned style recipe, like a delicious cake your grandma might have made you growing up. It’s an oatmeal based cake, and since they oats are soaked in boiling water it softens them up perfectly so you end with a moist and tender crumb in every bite.

Love oat recipes? Be sure to try my Oatmeal Cookies too, they’re a reader favorite!

Oatmeal Cake

There are many reasons I love this cake. First, like I said, it reminds me of something my grandma would have made. Second, the taste is simply divine – talk about savoring every bite.

And third could cake get any easier? You don’t even need to make a frosting, and bonus that means you don’t have to wait hours for a cake to cool.

Ingredients Needed for Oatmeal Cake

• Boiling water
• Oats
• Butter
• Brown sugar and white sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon and nutmeg
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Flour
• Milk
• Coconut

How to Make the Best Oatmeal Cake

• 1. First you’ll add the boiling water to the oats and let them soak until the mixture cools.

• 2. Then in a separate mixing bowl (or the bowl of an electric stand mixer) whip together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy.

• 3. Mix in eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

• 4. Blend in that cooled oat mixture.

• 5. Sprinkle in baking soda, salt and flour and mix.

• 6. Pour into pan and bake.

• 7. Meanwhile stir together the topping mixture in a mixing bowl.

• 8. Once cake is set add the topping then return to oven and broil for a minute or two.

• 9. Let cool as long as you can handle then cut into slices and serve.

How to Store Oatmeal Cake

• Store oatmeal cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days
• Ir cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 5 days, bring to room temperature before serving.
• Cake can also be frozen for 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Possible Variations

• If you hate coconut it can be omitted.
• If you don’t like nuts those can be omitted, if you love them feel free to double them up.
• For a more caramely flavor in the cake use all brown sugar and omit the granulated.
• Add raisins if you like raisins in cake.
• Use cream or half and half in place of the milk for even more richness.
• Skip the nutmeg if you don’t have it.

More Cake Recipes to Try

• Carrot Sheet Cake
• Banana Cake
• Birthday Cake (Funfetti Cake)
• Fresh Strawberry Cake
• Chocolate Cake