This old-fashioned oatmeal cake is incredibly moist and topped with a buttery broiled coconut pecan topping. The topping caramelizes under the broiler, giving this easy homemade cake a sweet, toasted finish.
After the cake bakes, you make the coconut pecan topping while the cake cools slightly. Spread it over the warm cake and pop it under the broiler until the coconut is toasted. The topping is buttery and caramel-like with plenty of coconut and pecans.
I usually have most of the ingredients for this cake in my pantry. Thankfully, I need to pick up coconut specifically, or I’d make this far too often (and struggle to stick to my 80/20 eating plan). I’m pretty sure Lee and I polished off this whole cake in about 2 days.
There are many versions of old-fashioned oatmeal cake online. This recipe closely resembles the one I enjoyed as a child.
I combined a cake recipe and a topping recipe long ago and jotted them down in a notebook. I don’t remember where either recipe originally came from, but this is the version I’ve been making ever since.
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Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts.
- Oats: I use old-fashioned rolled oats in this cake. I haven’t tested it with quick oats, so I recommend sticking with old-fashioned oats.
- Coconut: I use sweetened shredded coconut because it’s readily available at the grocery store. Unsweetened coconut will also work since the topping is made with brown sugar. Have leftover coconut? Use it to make my Snowball Cake!
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, but salted butter will work too.
- Milk: I use whole milk, but 2% or low-fat milk will also work.
- Nuts: I use chopped pecans in the coconut topping. Walnuts can be substituted if that’s what you have.
How to Make Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Coconut Topping
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9″ X 13″ pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour boiling water over the oats in a small bowl. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl. Set both aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and eggs with an electric mixer.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the oat mixture.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Make the topping:
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in ½ cup of the coconut and the pecans.
- Spread the warm topping over the cake and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.
- Broil for 5–7 minutes, or until the coconut is lightly toasted. Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn.
- Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes before cutting.
Tips for Making Oatmeal Cake
- Let the eggs come to room temperature for better results.
- If you don’t have a hand or stand mixer, you can mix the batter by hand with a large spoon.
- I add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then ½ of the oat mixture, another ⅓ of the flour mixture, the remaining oat mixture, and finally the remaining flour mixture.
- The coconut pecan topping is thinner than the frosting on German chocolate cake. It’s supposed to soak down into the warm oatmeal cake rather than sit thickly on top.
- Watch the cake closely while browning the coconut. If the cake is close to the flame or heating element, the coconut may brown very quickly. Check it after 2–3 minutes and frequently after that while it’s under the broiler.
How to Store Oatmeal Cake
Store leftover oatmeal cake at room temperature in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
How to Freeze Oatmeal Cake
This cake freezes beautifully, even with the broiled topping! Wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag.
Thaw in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or on the counter for about 30 minutes.
More Cake Recipes
- Tornado Cake – An easy homemade cake topped with a delightful coconut pecan topping.
- Pumpkin Pie Cake – Half pie, half cake that is made with just 4 ingredients!
- Peach Cake with Cool Whip Topping – Transform a boxed cake into something special.
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Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Coconut Pecan Topping
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Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup shredded coconut divided
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- cooking spray
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 13" X 9" pan with cooking spray.cooking spray
- Pour hot water over the oats in a small bowl. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl. Set both aside.1 ½ cups boiling water, 1 cup old fashioned oats, 1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Cream butter, brown sugar, sugar, and eggs with an electric mixer.½ cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs
- Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with oat mixture.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
For the topping:
- Combine butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to boiling and boil 3 – 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in ½ cup coconut and pecans. Spread over warm cake. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Broil until coconut is toasted, 5 – 7 minutes, see note below.½ cup butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup shredded coconut, ½ cup chopped pecans
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Notes
Nutrition
The cake is moist and delicious. However, I didn’t care for the topping. It was too runny and the brown sugar left an almost burnt caramel taste in my mouth. Maybe I was expecting it to taste like the frosting on a German chocolate cake?
Maybe, this is not supposed to be thick like the frosting on a German Chocolate cake but more like a topping that oozes down into the cake.
This looks soooo good!!
Thank you, it is one of my favorites!