Oatmeal Cake
A moist spiced oat cake topped with a broiled coconut and brown sugar icing. Makes 12 in 50 minutes.
Don't Make These Mistakes
Soak the oats so the cake stays moist.
Do not open the oven in the first 25 minutes.
Watch the topping closely; coconut burns quickly.
Making Oatmeal Cake
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Pour the boiling water over the oats and leave for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F (160°C / 320°F fan) and grease a 23 cm square tin.
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Beat the 115 g of butter with the sugars until pale. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt, then the oats.
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Pour into the tin and bake for 30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
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Melt the topping butter with the topping sugar and milk, stir in the coconut and spread over the warm cake. Bake for 5 minutes more or grill until bubbling and golden.
Why It Works
Soak the oats. Poured over with boiling water and left for 20 minutes, rolled oats soften and swell, and the cake that results is moist, a little chewy and stays fresh for days.
The cake itself is a simple creamed-butter sponge with brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the soaked oats at the end, along with the flour, and fold them in gently with a spatula.
Bake in a square tin until a skewer comes out clean. Do not open the oven in the first 25 minutes, or it sinks in the middle.
The topping is butter, brown sugar, milk and coconut, spread over the warm cake and returned to the oven, or put under a grill, until it bubbles and browns. Watch it closely. Coconut goes from golden to burnt in a few seconds. The topping is the part that makes the cake distinctive, with a toffee-like layer under the coconut. Serve warm or cold, and cut the cake in squares, since the topping is rich and a small piece is plenty.
Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping
Keeps in an airtight tin for up to 4 days. Freezes for up to 2 months.
Serving Oatmeal Cake
- Cup of tea
- Custard
- Cream
- Glass of milk
Questions and Answers
How long does Oatmeal Cake take to make?
About 50 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 12.
What are the key tips for making Oatmeal Cake?
Soak the oats so the cake stays moist. Do not open the oven in the first 25 minutes. Watch the topping closely; coconut burns quickly.
What should I serve with Oatmeal Cake?
Cup of tea; Custard; Cream; Glass of milk.
Can Oatmeal Cake be made ahead or frozen?
Keeps in an airtight tin for up to 4 days. Freezes for up to 2 months.
Is Oatmeal Cake suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Oatmeal Cake?
About 369 kcal per serving, with 5 g protein, 49 g carbohydrate and 17 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Oatmeal Cake Nutrition Facts
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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