• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pass Me Some Tasty
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • All Recipes
    • Browse Recipes
    • Recipe Videos
  • Seasonal Recipes
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
    • Winter
  • About
    • Meet Shannon
    • Portfolio
    • Resources for Food Bloggers
    • Contact & FAQ
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Blogging Resources
  • Portfolio
  • Contact & FAQs
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home ➞ All Recipes ➞ Dessert

    Oatmeal Cake

    Published: March 12, 2021 // Updated: March 12, 2021 // by Shannon Emery

    Jump To RecipePrint RecipeThis post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    A slice of cake is cut and is about to be served.
    A cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out. TWo plates of cake sit nearby.
    An oatmeal cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and decorated with cinnamon sticks.
    A slice of cake is cut and is about to be served.
    A big slice is taken out of a cake.
    A cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out. TWo plates of cake sit nearby.

    This perfectly divine and flavorful gluten-free, double-layer cinnamon oatmeal cake is topped with an easy, lightly-spiced cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It’s a popular cake frequently requested at family birthday parties!

    A cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out. TWo plates of cake sit nearby.

    This is a gluten-free cake that you'll actually want to eat.

    It's ridiculous how tasty it is.

    It's definitely not another sad, dry, gluten-free cake that mimics the flavors of sawdust and cardboard. No mama. This cake is ridiculously divine, ridiculously hard to just eat one slice of so you'll eat three instead, and ridiculously perfect.

    If you share it with others, expect to be asked to make it for the next bazillion birthday parties.

    A big slice is taken out of a cake.

    What is an oatmeal cake?

    Yep, it's a cake...made with oatmeal.

    But it's magical oatmeal 💫 because with just a few other ingredients we're turning our lumpy oatmeal-in-a-bowl into something that tastes like a cake from a high-end dessert shop.

    Surprisingly (at least to me), oatmeal cake has been around for aaaaages. Like your grandma's grandmother probably had a grandma who made it way back when. This recipe came to me from a scenario like that but then I decided to add my own riff to this cake's long history by making it gluten-free with a cinnamon-ey flair and decadent cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It's not cancel culture if you're just making it better right?

    Recipe ingredients

    Ingredients to make oatmeal cake are laid out on a marble countertop.
    • Hot water: Make it boiling hot. This is how we'll soften those oats.
    • Gluten-free quick cooking oats: Quick-cooking oats are the way to go in order to get that perfect crumb.
    • Unsalted butter: Always the way to go so you can control the salt without the salt controlling your food.
    • Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Flour: The ingredient make-up and proportions of every gluten-free flour you'll find on the grocery store shelves are nowhere close to being similar to each other. This is the gluten-free flour I suggest for this cake. If you opt to try a different brand, it's at your own cake's risk.

    Step by step instructions

    Pouring hot water on oatmeal and adding butter and sugars to the soaked oatmeal.

    Step 1: Add hot, boiling water and quick cooking oats to a large bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes or so.

    Step 2: After the oats have soaked, it's time to transform them from plain oatmeal to something amazing. With an electric mixer, add in butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla to start the magic.

    Add beaten egg to oat mixture. Mix remaining dry ingredients.

    Step 3: Add in a couple of beaten eggs.

    Step 4: In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

    Dry ingredients are mixed into the cake mixture. Cake tins are lined with parchment.

    Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet, but probably a little at a time so that the flour doesn't poof up into your face when you turn on the electric mixer.

    Step 6: Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. To get those parchment paper circles set the cake pans on the parchment paper, trace the bottom, and cut out with scissors.

    Cake batter is poured into cake tins and baked to golden perfection.

    Step 7: Divide the cake batter evenly between the two cake pans.

    Step 8: Bake until golden and perfectly spongey. Allow the cake layers to rest in their pans for several minutes. Then gently remove cakes from their pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and decorating.

    An oatmeal cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and decorated with cinnamon sticks.

    Recipe tips

    • For perfect, spreadable frosting make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature prior to blending. This will ensure that you don't end up with little clumps of butter and cream cheese in your frosting.
    • Do not frost a warm cake. Allow the cake layers to completely cool to room temperature prior to frosting the cake so that you don't end up with sloppy, melted frosting.
    • How to frost a layer cake: I prefer to leave both of my cake rounds intact versus slicing off their rounded tops to make them flat. So to make my cake still look flat once finished, I place the first cake layer top-side-up on the cake plate. Once I frost the top of that layer, I place the second cake layer top-side-down on the first cake. Then I just fill in the space between the layers with more frosting and continue frosting until the sides and top of the cake are covered completely and evenly with frosting. There are definitely other 'professional' methods to frosting a layer cake which can be found with a quick Google search if you desire.
    • To prevent your bottom cake layer from sliding on the cake plate when frosting just add a dollop of frosting to the center of the cake plate before laying the first cake layer down.
    • If you need to refrigerate your cake prior to serving, make sure to remove it from the refrigerator about an hour beforehand. Room temperature cake is usually more enjoyable to eat than cold cake straight from the refrigerator.
    A slice of cake is cut and is about to be served.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I use old fashioned rolled oats instead of quick cooking oats?

    Yes, you can. It will change the texture of the cake slightly but it will still be delicious.

    Is there another kind of frosting besides the cream cheese frosting that would also taste awesome on this cake?

    A coconut pecan frosting, like what would typically be used on a German chocolate cake, is a great substitute for the cinnamon cream cheese frosting in this recipe.

    Do I need to refrigerate this cake?

    Nope, this cake (even with its cream cheese frosting) will be absolutely fine hanging out on the counter for 2-3 days as long as your house stays around 70 degrees or cooler. Just cover it with a cake dome or aluminum foil. If refrigerated, the cake will typically keep for 5-6 days.

    Can I freeze this cake?

    Yes! Slice it into individual portions and store in freezer-safe containers. When you're ready to eat a slice of cake, just set the cake out at room temperature to thaw for 20-30 minutes prior to eating.

    Two plates of double-layered cake with cream cheese frosting.

    Here's something funny (at least to me). If you Google oatmeal cake, there are a bunch of people claiming that the recipe was their grandma's recipe, with hand-scripted recipe cards to prove it (there were no computers back then so of course they wrote it on a recipe card). Now unless everyone had the same grandma, I'm calling malarkey on that.

    So here's the real question. Who was the OG ('original grandma') that all the grandmas took the recipe from? Because that grandma was definitely the original gangsta when she figured out how to transform oatmeal into a decadent cake.

    Nice work g-ma. ♡

    More tasty dessert recipes!

    • Chocolate Chip Brownie Cheesecake rich and decadent
    • Gluten-Free Apple Pear Galettes with pecan streusel
    • Gluten-Free Blackberry Bourbon Pie absolutely heavenly
    • Gluten-Free Raspberry Hand Pies with white chocolate drizzle
    • Chocolate Covered Strawberries a fun and simple treat
    • German Chocolate Brownies no one will believe these brownies are gluten-free!

    Did You Make This Recipe?!

    If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a star rating below! I greatly appreciate your feedback and it is also so helpful for other PMST readers who are thinking about making the recipe. Remember to snap a photo and tag @passmesometasty on Instagram so I can see!

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    A cake on a cake stand with a slice cut out. Two plates of cake sit nearby.

    Oatmeal Cake


    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Shannon Emery
    • Prep Time: 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Total Time: 55 minutes
    • Yield: 12 slices 1x
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This perfectly divine and flavorful gluten-free, double-layer cinnamon oatmeal cake is topped with an easy, lightly-spiced cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It’s a popular cake frequently requested at family birthday parties!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Oatmeal Cake

    • 1 cup (106 grams) gluten-free quick cooking oats
    • 1 ¼ cup (303 grams by weight) boiling water
    • ½ cup (112 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 1 cup (220 grams) white sugar
    • 1 cup, packed (180 grams) brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 ⅓ cup (225 grams) Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt

    Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

    • ½ cup (112 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 8 ounces (226 grams) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • 4 cups, packed (480 grams) powdered sugar

    Optional topping decorations

    • sprinkle of cinnamon
    • cinnamon sticks

    Instructions

    Oatmeal Cake

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, grease the sides, and set aside.
    2. Place oats in a large mixing bowl. Pour boiling water over oats and let stand for 20 minutes.
    3. After oats have soaked, add butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla to the oats and mix until combined with an electric mixer (or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment).
    4. Add eggs to the oat mixture and mix until combined.
    5. In a separate bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Then add to oat mixture and mix well.
    6. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes or until light golden brown and a knife inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. Allow the cake layers to rest in their pans for several minutes. Then gently remove cakes from their pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

    Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

    1. With an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment), cream the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
    2. Add in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and powdered sugar (just one cup at a time so you don't have a powdered sugar explosion when you turn on the mixer) and whip to combine, about 1 minute more.

    Cake Assembly

    1. Place the first cake layer on a plate and top with a large dollop of frosting. Spread the frosting across the top of the cake evenly. Add the second cake layer and top with frosting. Finish by frosting the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
    2. If you’d like, decorate the top of your cake with a sprinkling of cinnamon and top with an arrangement of cinnamon sticks. Enjoy!

    Equipment

    Image of Round Cake Pan

    Round Cake Pan

    Buy Now →
    Image of Parchment Paper

    Parchment Paper

    Buy Now →
    Image of Hand Mixer

    Hand Mixer

    Buy Now →

    Notes

    The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use or recommend.

    How to frost a layer cake: I prefer to leave both of my cake rounds intact versus slicing off their rounded tops to make them flat. So to make my cake still look flat once finished, I place the first cake layer top-side-up on the cake plate. Once I frost the top of that layer, I place the second cake layer top-side-down on the first cake. Then I just fill in the space between the layers with more frosting and continue frosting until the sides and top of the cake are covered completely and evenly with frosting. There are definitely other 'professional' methods to frosting a layer cake which can be found with a quick Google search if you desire.

    To prevent your bottom cake layer from sliding on the cake plate when frosting just add a small dollop of frosting to the center of the cake plate before laying the first cake layer down.

    If you need to refrigerate your cake prior to serving, make sure to remove it from the refrigerator about an hour beforehand. Room temperature cake is usually more enjoyable to eat than cold cake straight from the refrigerator.

    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Keywords: oatmeal cake, dessert, gluten-free cake recipe, gluten-free dessert recipe, cream cheese frosting

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @passmesometasty on Instagram. I'd love to see what you made!

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

    Disclaimer: All brand recommendations are purely my own opinion. I am in no way sponsored or compensated by the brands mentioned in this post for my recommendations. This post may also contain affiliate links from which I may receive a small commission (without any additional costs to you). The money earned from these commissions helps me to maintain this website. Thank you for your support!

    More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes

    • Gluten-Free Coffee Cake
    • Gluten-Free Apple Pear Galettes with Pecan Streusel
    • Heavenly Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes
    • Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment & Rating! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Jo

      March 06, 2022 at 2:06 pm

      I made this cake and added raisins for an oatmeal raisin cookie lovers birthday, it was absolutely delicious! Super moist and chewy, this was easy to make and everyone loved it. The only other difference I made was to double the cinnamon in the frosting to a heaping teaspoon. This is a keeper, thank you!






      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        March 09, 2022 at 6:52 am

        I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Adding raisins is a fantastic idea too!

        Reply
    2. Jo

      February 14, 2022 at 7:56 am

      Hello, do you have any times or tips for converting this into a three layer, 6 inch cake? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Shannon Emery

        February 14, 2022 at 8:30 am

        Hi Jo, thanks for your question. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I have never tried making this cake into a 3-layer cake so I can't give you specifics on converting it. However, the temperature it is baked at should not change, that will always remain the same. Also, cakes made in smaller pans will often take longer to bake so I would just keep a close eye on it to avoid overbaking it. Let me know how it goes!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Shannon

    Shannon Emery of Pass Me Some Tasty

    Welcome to Pass Me Some Tasty!
    This is where you will find easy, tasty gluten-free recipes that EVERYONE will love.
    I hope you discover new favorites that both you and your whole family will enjoy!
    LEARN MORE


    Subscribe to receive new posts from Pass Me Some Tasty directly to your inbox!

    Popular Posts

    • A plate of creamy pasta with sausage and wooden handled fork.
      One Pot Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta
    • Two bowls of southwest chicken and rice topped with cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. Served with lime wedges.
      Southwest Chicken Rice Bowl
    • Two bowls of soup sitting next to a pot of soup.
      The Best Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
    • Meatballs are piled on topped of a plate spaghetti marinara.
      Easy Gluten-Free Meatballs
    • A large bowl of Mediterranean Bean Salad with serving utensils, lemon, and a jar of leftover vinaigrette off to the sides.
      Mediterranean Bean Salad

    Fall Recipe Favorites!

    A plate of creamy pesto pasta topped with sun-dried tomatoes and grilled chicken. A perfect meal for any night!

    Creamy Pesto Pasta with Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

    Arugula is topped with roasted beets and butternut squash and served on a white platter.

    Roasted Beet & Butternut Squash Salad

    Meatballs are piled on topped of a plate spaghetti marinara.

    Easy Gluten-Free Meatballs

    Chicken piccata with gnocchi in a grey skillet.

    Chicken Piccata with Gnocchi

    A large serving bowl with brussels sprouts and pancetta salad with chili lime vinaigrette. Two serving utensils rest alongside it.

    Brussels Sprout and Pancetta Salad with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette

    A bowl of gluten-free gnocchi with marinara sauce, italian sausage, and bell peppers.

    Gnocchi Marinara with Sausage & Peppers

    Resources for food bloggers

    Footer

    Pass Me Some Tasty logo and link to homepage

    Never Miss A Recipe!

    Sign Up to receive new recipes from
    Pass Me Some Tasty directly to your inbox!

    Pass Me Some Tasty

    About
    Contact
    Portfolio
    Blogger Resources

    Copyright © 2022 Pass Me Some Tasty · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Statement

    ⬆ back to top