Oatmeal Cake with Vanilla Sauce
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The tastiest old-fashioned Oatmeal Cake with Vanilla Sauce like mom used to make but taken up 10 notches.
After this Oatmeal Cake, try Blueberry Cake and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!
You all know growing up my mom made some amazing dishes. Meals that are forever seared into my brain as some of the best foods I’ve ever eaten, ones that I’ve recreated here to get them written down and to pass them on for others to enjoy. Her baking was no different — especially this oatmeal cake. It’s a throwback for sure but top it with a delicious, rich vanilla sauce and it brings this cake into a whole new era!
Here’s How You Make It
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. (not pictured)
- Then, take out a medium mixing bowl and combine the oats with the hot water, stir them together, and let them soak while you move on to the next steps. (photo 1)
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nuts (if you’re including them in this oatmeal cake recipe). (photo 2)
- Now, get out a large bowl and cream together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Then to that mix in the eggs and the vanilla. (photos 3-4)
- Add the oatmeal to the wet ingredients, then mix in all of the dry ingredients just until combined. (photo 5)
- Spread the mixture evenly in a prepared pan. Put it in the oven to bake for 35 minutes or until it’s set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with no wet batter. Allow the oatmeal cake to cool for 15-20 minutes. While the cake is cooking, you can prepare the vanilla sauce. (photos 6-7)
- In a thick-bottomed, medium saucepan (do not use stainless steel) set on the stove over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Stir the sauce continuously for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (photo 8)
- Finally cut the cake into squares, drizzle the vanilla sauce over the top, and serve. (see below)
Why This Recipe Works
Simple — Don’t let the various bowls you have to get out throw you. It’s a super simple cake to make and one bite of this oatmeal cake and you’ll see how simple — and worth it — it is!
Vanilla sauce — Okay this vanilla sauce is next-level. You’ll want to make this and put it on top of all the things. So rich and creamy and with just the right amount of vanilla. So. Good.
Rich and creamy — The oatmeal cake is rich and creamy, the vanilla sauce is rich and creamy, put these two together and it’s just the best cake ever.
Fan favorite — By “fans” I mean mostly my family (right now). I’ve been asked to make this oatmeal cake recipe for just about every family gathering (immediate and extended).
Frequently Asked Questions
Oatmeal cake is an old-fashioned recipe if you will. Flip through your mom’s or grandma’s recipe books and you’ll be sure to find it. Instead of making a cake with all flour, you use half flour and half cooked oats. The oats help make the cake not only tasty but moist and tender, too.
The oats are first soaked in boiling water to cook them and then added to the wet ingredients before adding the rest of the dry ingredients in to make the cake. Sometimes coconut is added to this recipe too, or nuts. I prefer my cake with pecans or walnuts.
Oatmeal isn’t just for breakfast. In fact the possibilities are nearly endless! Try these delicious treats made with plain, old fashioned oatmeal:
Apple oatmeal cookies
Apple (or berry) crisp
Oatmeal pancakes
Oatmeal pie
Oatmeal crackers
Oatmeal raisin cookies
Peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars
Salted caramel pecan oatmeal fudge bars
Baked oatmeal (with peanut butter, chocolate, or both)
Oatmeal craisin breakfast bars
Choco-berry oatmeal
Oatmeal raisin (or apple) muffins
Oatmeal banana bread
Expert Tips
- Be sure to use old fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. If you use steel cut, the cake will not work. Steel cut oats take a long time to cook and the oats will taste nutty and seedy in the cake. You need the whole grains and moistness of the soaked oatmeal.
- This oatmeal cake will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
- Other ways to top this oatmeal cake include a cream cheese frosting, a buttercream frosting, or a simple vanilla glaze.
- You can freeze this oatmeal cake for up to 3 months, though it won’t thaw and be nearly as moist, it will still taste delicious!
More Dessert Recipes
- Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Blueberry Cake
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Carrot Cake Bread
- Best No Bake Cheesecake
For more amazingly delicious desserts, check out my popular posts for Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting, Raspberry Crumb Bars, and One Bowl Lemon Cake.
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Oatmeal Cake with Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients
Oatmeal Cake
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cups very hot water
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Vanilla Sauce
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl combine oats and hot water, stir, let soak while you prepare next steps.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nuts (if including).
- In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
- Mix in oatmeal, then mix in dry ingredients just until combined.
- Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with no wet batter. Allow cake to cool for 15-20 minutes, meanwhile prepare the vanilla sauce.
- In a thick-bottom medium sauce pan (do not use stainless steel) over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Stir continuously for about 5 minutes until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Cut cake into squares, drizzle vanilla sauce over the top, and serve.
Notes
- Be sure to use old fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. If you use steel cut, the cake will not work. Steel cut oats take a long time to cook and the oats will taste nutty and seedy in the cake. You need the whole grains and moistness of the soaked oatmeal.
- This oatmeal cake will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
- Other ways to top this oatmeal cake include a cream cheese frosting, a buttercream frosting, or a simple vanilla glaze.
- You can freeze this oatmeal cake for up to 3 months, though it won’t thaw and be nearly as moist, it will still taste delicious!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the nutritional information?
Great
Can I use minute oats?
What’s the shelf life and does it have to be refrigerated? Thank you so much!
Hi Eva! It’s good at room temperature covered tightly up to three days. Beyond that, it should be chilled.
Think you burnt your “Vanilla Sauce”.
I’m planning to try this cake in August when my in-laws come to visit. In the meantime, can you tell me why you do not recommend stainless steel for the vanilla sauce? I am just curious, as most of my pots are stainless steel.
Thank you!
Bethe
Hi Bethe! Stainless steel will get too hot too quickly and cause it to burn. Hope you love this recipe!
What’s the reason behind not using a stainless steel pan (#7) to combine the butter, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt? It makes no sense to me.
Same
I made it with quick oats because that is all I had and it turned out just fine. Also substituted maple flavoring for the vanilla.
Thanks for sharing your feedback Janelle! Glad yours turned out great.
Why should we not use a stainless steel sauce pan? A stainless steel skillet, stock pot, and sauce pans, as well as a cast iron skillet and dutch oven are what I own and have use for almost 40 years.
Stainless steel will cause this to get too hot and burn.
Stainless Steel is fine, it’s what I use for this sauce, caramel etc. just keep an eye on it.
Is it okay to use Quick oats instead of old fashion oats. There are three types of oats I believe, steel cut, old fashion and quick minute oats, not instant. I love anything that has oats a cinnamon in it. Looking a the photo of this cake is making mouth water.
Stick with old fashion for this recipe!