Oatmeal Cake

This easy to bake homemade oatmeal cake is a family favorite from my grandmother!

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Super easy to bake from scratch, this oatmeal cake recipe has been a family favorite ever since I can remember. An oatmeal cake is an old-fashioned sponge-like dessert that has a moist, sweet taste and is topped with a thick layer of creamy white frosting.

Oatmeal Cake Ingredients

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The blend of soft, chewy oatmeal and sweet notes of cinnamon and brown sugar are perfectly complemented by the light texture of the cake.

The frosting on top adds a creaminess that ties everything together, making each bite feel like a sweet and satisfying indulgence.

Oatmeal cake may sound simple, but the combination of flavors and textures is anything but.

You’ll need:

For The Oatmeal Cake:

• 1½ cups of boiling water
• 1 cup of quick-cooking oats
• 1½ cups of shortening
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1⅓ cups of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

For The Frosting:

• 1 cup of milk
• ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of margarine
• ½ cup of shortening
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Substitutions And Additions

TOPPINGS: Add a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or coconut flakes on top of the frosting for an extra crunch.

How To Make This Oatmeal Cake Recipe

Let’s walk through the step-by-step instructions on how to make this vintage cake and frosting.

For The Cake

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the oats into a small bowl and pour the boiling water over the oats. Cover the bowl and leave the oat mixture to stand for 20 minutes, so they swell and thicken.

STEP TWO: While the oats are in the hot water soaking, in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, cream together the shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar. Then mix in the eggs, flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, and cinnamon.

STEP THREE: Once all the ingredients are combined, uncover your oatmeal mixture and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

STEP FOUR: Transfer the cake batter to a large greased 9 × 13-inch pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

For The Frosting

STEP ONE: To make the oatmeal cake frosting, you need to cook the milk and flour in a saucepan over the stove on low heat until the mixture becomes thick.

STEP TWO: Once the milk and flour thicken, remove it from the stove and leave it to cool. Cream together the sugar, margarine, and shortening.

STEP THREE: Once the milk and flour mixture has cooled, beat together with the creamed sugar, margarine, shortening, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

STEP FOUR: When the cake has cooled, generously spread the oatmeal cake frosting over the top of the cake. All that’s left to do is cut into portions, serve, and enjoy.

How To Serve This Oat Cake

Grandma’s oatmeal cake is the perfect dessert for a simple afternoon snack along with a cup of tea or latte. This tasty cake is also a welcome addition to any potluck table.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be the perfect finish.

Looking for some other delicious cake options? Make sure you try our chocolate poke cake and our lemon poke cake.

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Storage

This cake is an easy treat to store either in the fridge, freezer, or at room temperature. Here’s how.

ON THE COUNTER: If your oatmeal cake is unfrosted, you can use plastic wrap to tightly seal the cake. You will be able to keep the oatmeal cake at room temperature for up to five days this way. Just be sure to let the cake cool completely before you wrap it.

When the cake is iced, don’t worry about wrapping it up. Your frosted oatmeal cake will keep at room temperature for up to five days

IN THE FRIDGE: If you’re not planning to serve your oatmeal cake right away, it’s also best to keep it stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container so it will last a few more days.

IN THE FREEZER: You can also keep this cake in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container for up to two months.

Because this type of cake is so easy to make, some people refer to it as a lazy cake. No matter the name, nothing beats a slice of this wonderful oatmeal cake recipe made from scratch with oats, and warm spices, and topped off with a generous smothering of frosting and a nice warm drink.

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Oatmeal Cake

5 from 6 votes

This easy to bake homemade oatmeal cake is a family favorite from my grandmother!

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cake

• 1½ cups boiling water
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1½ cups shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1⅓ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Frosting

• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup margarine
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Put the oats into a small bowl and pour the boiling water over the oats. Cover the bowl and leave the oat mixture to stand for 20 minutes so they swell and thicken.
• While the oats are in the hot water soaking, in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, cream together the shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar. Then mix in the eggs, flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, and cinnamon.
• Once all the ingredients are combined, uncover your oatmeal mixture and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
• Transfer the cake batter to a large greased 9 × 13-inch pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

Frosting

• To make the oatmeal cake frosting, you need to cook the milk and flour in a saucepan over the stove on low heat until the mixture becomes thick.
• Once the milk and flour thicken, remove it from the stove and leave it to cool. Cream together the sugar, margarine, and shortening.
• Once the milk and flour mixture has cooled, beat together with the creamed sugar, margarine, shortening, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
• When the cake has cooled, generously spread the oatmeal cake frosting over the top of the cake. All that’s left to do is cut into portions, serve and enjoy.

Notes

• You can also put the oatmeal cake mixture into a cupcake or muffin pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes to have oatmeal muffins.
• Before removing the oatmeal cake from the oven, stick a knife into the center of the cake and make sure it comes out clean. That way you know the middle of your oatmeal cake is cooked.

Nutrition

Calories: 677kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 411IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg

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