Oatmeal Cake

My irresistibly homey Oatmeal Cake with coconut pecan frosting is nostalgic and delicious. All you need is a 9x13 pan, a handful of pantry staples, and a little bit of kitchen magic.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Cool Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 409kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Mixing Bowls
9x13" cake pan

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1½ cups old fashioned rolled oats (168g)
1¼ cups boiling water (300mL)
1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
¾ cup packed brown sugar (165g)
½ cup unsalted butter softened (113g)
3 larg eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (86g)
⅔ cup packed brown sugar 150g
¼ cup milk 60mL
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups sweetened shredded coconut 150g
½ cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts, optional) (60g)

Instructions

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the oats and boiling water. Let soak for 15 minutes. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter with on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Beat in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the oat mixture and beat until well blended. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the Topping:

As soon as the cake comes out, turn the oven to Broil.
In a medium bowl, stir together butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the coconut and nuts. Spread over the warm cake.
Place under the broiler just until the edges of the coconut are toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Crack your eggs into a small bowl before adding them to your batter. It’s much easier to see if you’ve lost any shells that way!
Make the topping as soon as the cake is done baking. If you try making it too far ahead, it firms up and becomes difficult to spread.
Watch the broiling process the whole time. The coconut and nuts can go from perfectly caramelized and beautiful to acrid and burnt in a second.

Nutrition