Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Frosting

You’re likely to find this cozy oatmeal cake recipe in your grandmother’s recipe box. It’s a humble snacking cake, delicious with coffee or served up as an afterschool snack. It stays moist and delicious for several days, so it’s a great choice if you’re bringing dessert to an event.

This version has been updated with lighter ingredients (because no one wants to skip dessert), swapping applesauce for oil and incorporating fat-free half-and-half into the frosting. Did we mention the frosting? Chewy shredded coconut, crunchy walnuts, brown sugar and just a bit of butter are stirred together, slathered on the cake and then briefly broiled to make a golden-brown topping with an intriguing texture.

Ingredients for Oatmeal Cake

CAKE:

• Quick-cooking oats: Soaking a cup of oats in boiling water hydrates them and gives them a chewy texture.
• Sugar and brown sugar: Granulated sugar and brown sugar combine for a sweet cake with a hint of molasses.
• Unsweetened applesauce: Just a 1/2 cup of applesauce yields a moist cake without using oil.
• Eggs: Eggs help create structure and stability in a cake, and also keep it from being dry.
• Flour: We call for all-purpose flour, but you could use your favorite gluten-free flour. Just use certified gluten-free oats, too.
• Baking powder and baking soda: These staple bakery ingredients give a cake loft and lightness.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: Ground cinnamon and nutmeg complement oatmeal, adding a warm spicy note and giving the batter a deeper color.

FROSTING:

• Coconut and walnuts: Sweetened shredded coconut and crunchy walnuts make the topping delightfully chewy and crunchy.
• Brown sugar: Golden brown sugar brings a hint of caramel to the frosting.
• Fat-free half-and-half and butter: Melted butter and light cream thin out the frosting, but keep it tasting rich.
• Vanilla extract: Fragrant vanilla extract gives the topping a little depth and complexity of flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Make cake batter

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Combine oats and boiling water in a small bowl and let sit for 20 minutes. In another bowl, whisk sugars, applesauce and eggs. Add to oat mixture. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl, stirring together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add dry ingredients into the batter and mix until just combined.

Step 2: Bake oatmeal cake

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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the center is set and a knife or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 3: Make frosting and broil until golden-brown

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Mix up frosting ingredients and spread over hot cake. Set under a broiler for one to two minutes until lightly browned and bubbly.

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Oatmeal Cake Variations

• Swap in different nuts: You can use your favorite nut in place of the walnuts. Try almonds or pecans.
• Add dried fruit: Stir 1 cup of raisins, dried cherries or dried cranberries into the batter.
• Play with spices: Add other warm baking spices such as cardamom or allspice.
• Make it pumpkin: Replace applesauce with an equal amount of pumpkin puree for a fall-inspired treat.

How to Store Oatmeal Cake

Leftover oatmeal cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature.

Can you make oatmeal cake ahead of time?

Oatmeal cake is a good choice if you have a potluck coming up. It can be made 1 to 2 days in advance and still stay moist.

Oatmeal Cake Tips

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How can I make sure my frosting doesn’t burn?

Broiling is tricky, because something can go from beautifully golden brown to black and burned in seconds. Turn on that oven light and watch carefully. Start at one minute, and if frosting isn’t turning brown yet, keep going for up to another minute—but don’t take your eyes off it.

Can I use old-fashioned oats in oatmeal cake?

The primary difference between old-fashioned oats and instant oats is how much they’ve been processed. Old-fashioned oats have just been steamed and flattened. Instant oats have been precooked, flattened and chopped into bits. You can use old-fashioned oats in this oatmeal cake recipe. The texture will be a little denser and chewier.

How can you neatly cut a snack cake?

Parchment paper is a very versatile kitchen tool. For bar desserts made in a baking dish, you can grease the dish as directed, but lay a piece of parchment paper across the dish, with enough hanging over that you’ve basically made a sling. When the cake is still warm, run a knife along all of the edges to loosen and when it’s cool use the parchment “handles” to lift the cake out and cut into squares.