This light and moist Amish oatmeal cake was one of our family's favorite cake recipes. The oats are soaked in boiling water to soften them perfectly, making every bite moist and delicious. It is an old-fashioned cake recipe that your grandma may have made.
Perhaps the best part of this oatmeal cake is the coconut/pecan topping that gets broiled at the end. It adds a sweet crunch that pairs so well with the extra moist cake.
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Ingredients
- Boiling Water & Quick Oats are the base ingredients for the oatmeal mixture. The boiling water softens the oats, creating a moist and chewy texture in the final cake.
- Butter or Shortening provides richness and moisture. Butter also adds flavor, while shortening contributes to tenderness.
- White Sugar & Brown Sugar sweeten the cake. Brown sugar adds a deeper flavor due to its molasses content, while white sugar adds sweetness and helps with browning.
- Eggs act as a binding agent, helping to hold the cake together.
- Vanilla Extract enhances the flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour provides structure.
- Baking soda acts as a leavening agent, helping the cake rise and become light and fluffy.
- Salt enhances the flavors.
- Cinnamon & Ground Nutmeg add warm, spicy notes.
For the topping:
- Melted Butter adds richness and helps bind the topping ingredients together.
- Brown Sugar sweetens the topping and helps create a caramel-like sauce.
- Heavy cream adds richness and creaminess.
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes & Chopped Pecans add texture and flavor. Coconut flakes provide a chewy texture and a subtle coconut flavor, while pecans add crunch and nuttiness.
- Vanilla Extract enhances the flavor.
How to Make Oatmeal Cake
- Combine boiling water and quick oats, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Cream softened butter or shortening with white and brown sugar, then mix in eggs and vanilla extract.
- Combine the soaked oatmeal mixture with the creamed mixture.
- Mix the remaining dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add it to the oatmeal mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into a greased 9x13" pan and bake until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the topping by melting butter in a saucepan, then add brown sugar and cream. Bring it to a boil, and stir in coconut flakes, chopped pecans, and vanilla extract.
- Once the cake is done, spread the topping evenly over the hot cake and broil for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.
Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake
This oatmeal cake recipe is sometimes also known as Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake. I don't know where it had its origin. But it appears to have been a popular cake in the 1920s and 30s.
It's an old-fashioned oatmeal cake recipe that's been passed down for generations. And a variation of this recipe even found its way onto Quaker oat containers.
I don't think there's any record of where the name "Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake" came from. But it's quite possible that it has to do with the fact that this oatmeal cake is very easy and quick to make.
So if you're feeling lazy, but you want to make a quick cake, you've come to the right place. 🙂 This cake is very quick and easy to make.
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Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Coconut Topping/Using a Broiler
In case you're not familiar with using a broiler, Whirlpool gives a good explanation and instructions on how to use it.
A broiler is an element in your oven - usually located near the top - that provides high, direct heat much like a grill. Broiling places food close to your oven's heating element so that it can quickly cook, brown, or caramelize. This can give food more complex flavors or help you achieve certain textures.
My mom had a gas stove and her broiler was in the drawer under the oven. But no matter where it's located, your oven should have a broiling element. And it's easy to use.
You will need to make sure that you use a broiler-safe baking dish to bake your cake. Most glass dishes are not considered to be broiler-safe.
So I recommend using a stainless steel or aluminum cake pan. Adjust your oven rack to approximately six inches from the heat.
Once your cake is finished baking, turn off the oven and set the broiler to low.
Spread the coconut pecan topping over the cake and place it under the broiler for about 2 - 4 minutes until browned. But keep your eye on it because it can quickly burn.
Variations
• Use rolled oats instead of quick oats.
• Use shortening instead of butter.
• If you don't have nutmeg on hand, feel free to leave it out.
• You can use ¾ cup of white flour and ¾ cup of whole wheat flour instead of all white.
• Try adding raisins or chocolate chips to the cake, if you want to change things up.
• If you aren't a fan of coconut, simply leave it out.
• Use walnuts or sliced almonds in the topping instead of pecans.
• And if you don't like nuts or have a nut allergy, they can be omitted too.
• This cake is not very thick, it's more like bars. If you want a thicker cake, you can bake it in a deep 9" square pan instead.
Can I Freeze Oatmeal Cake?
This old-fashioned oatmeal cake freezes well.
Once cooled, cut the cake and transfer some of the pieces to an airtight container and freeze it for up to a couple of months. Remove from the freezer and thaw at room temperature before serving.
If you try this delicious Amish oatmeal cake with broiled topping, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Oatmeal Cake Recipe with Coconut Frosting
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 ½ c. boiling water
- 1 c. quick oats
- ½ c. softened butter or shortening
- ¾ c. white sugar
- ¾ c. brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Topping:
- 6 Tbsp. melted butter
- ⅔ c. brown sugar
- ¼ c. heavy cream
- 1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 c. chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal. Stir and let it set for at least 15 minutes, while you mix the rest of the ingredients1 ½ c. boiling water, 1 c. quick oats
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Beat well.½ c. softened butter or shortening, ¾ c. white sugar, ¾ c. brown sugar
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy.2 large eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Add the oatmeal mixture and mix.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, and nutmeg. Add to the creamed mixture and stir to combine.1 ½ c. all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- Pour it into a greased 9x13" metal pan (or any 9x13" broiler-proof pan) and bake for 30 -35 minutes at 350°. A toothpick inserted in the center should only have a few crumbs.
- While the cake is still hot from the oven, evenly spread the topping mixture over the top. Turn the broiler to low heat and place the cake pan about six inches below the broiler. Broil for about 2 - 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Make sure to keep your eye on it because it can burn quickly.
- Cool and enjoy! Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also freeze some for later.
Topping:
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.6 Tbsp. melted butter
- Add the brown sugar and cream. Whisk and bring to a rolling boil.⅔ c. brown sugar, ¼ c. heavy cream
- Remove from the heat and add the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. Mix well.1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 c. chopped pecans, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Spread over the top of the hot cake and broil to lightly brown.
Denise M Levesque
I made this cake today for my Bible study group and it’s absolutely amazingly delicious. Everyone loved it. Recipe is a keeper and I’ll be making it again and again…
Anna
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!
Ana Maria Rios
I made this cake today and the only thing I didn't do is broil it. I simply let the cake cool and when the topping was slightly warm, I spread it on top. I have to say that this is a wonderful recipe that I will be making again. My family loved it and I can't wait to share it with friends! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Anna
Awesome! So glad it worked for you!
Ana Maria Rios
I'd like to know if I can just let the cake cool completely and then spread the topping on it. In other words....skip the broiling process. Thank you!
Anna
I've never actually done that, and it's been a minute since I made this, so I can't remember exactly what the topping is like before broiling, but I can't see why it would be a problem. Feel free to try it.
Melissa
Anna,
I'm the 3rd generation in our family that makes this cake. My mother's family were friendly with an Mennonite family in Ohio who shared the recipe with my grandmother (that is the family lore at least.) This cake has always been my favorite. I recently won first place in a baking contest thanks to this cake! Thanks for sharing it. Some of the measurements were missing from my grandmother's recipe. You filled in some blanks for me. Thank you!
Anna
Yay! Happy to help!
Julie Beimert
I made this cake tonight and it looks fantastic!!!! I’m just wondering if I have to store it in the refrigerator overnight since I’m not serving until tomorrow.
Anna
I'm sorry. I didn't see this till now. Hope you figured something out. This cake should be fine stored at room temperature for a couple of days.
Anna
Love this cake!!
Babecake
I just wanted to add to your comments that if you're allergic to nuts, not all but most of those people are also allergic to coconut. Just to be careful. Thanks
Anna
Thank you for that! I didn't realize that many people were also allergic to coconut.
Heather
That’s not true. It’s an old wives tail according to our allergist. Coconut used to be thought of as a tree nut but it is actually a fruit. The people in my family with nut allergies tolerate coconut without a problem.
vickie May
This sounds like the same cake my grandma used to make us when she had leftover oatmeal. It is The BOMB!
Thank you
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice comment!
Lori
This cake is so delicious. I am so glad I found it, thank you.
Anna
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ssue Totheroh
I can freeze the baked cake with coconut frosting right? How to defrost it by letting it sit out?
Anna
It should freeze well, and thawing at room temperature should be fine.
Janet smith
I have made this many times with a different recipe and it was always great. Tried yours and it turned out more like bars, not cake. If you make this let your oatmeal soak for 20 minutes before adding. Sadly this was my sons birthday cake
Anna
I'm sorry that you were disappointed. It is a thin cake, and I mentioned in the notes that you could bake it in a smaller pan if you want it thicker.
Tina McGillvary
If you make the cake as x3 and pour into a 9 by 13-would that be a "typical" height of cake and then you would not triple the frosting amount?
Anna
I don't think x3 would fit in the pan. I think x2 would fill it to the top. A full pan will also need to bake longer. It's up to you about doubling the frosting.
Catie
I have been looking for this recipe! My mother used to make it when I was a child. I also love the way that you put the amount of the ingredients in with the instructions. I always seem to be scrolling up and down with sticky fingers while putting together the ingredients.
Anna
I am glad that you found what you were looking for.
Benna
Do you drain the water from the oats after they soak?
Anna
No, you mix it in.
Rachel Quesnel
There shouldn't be any water to drain once they've been soak, if there's water, I'd suggest you wait a bit longer before adding.
Dolores
So moist love this recipe,will make again.
Anna
Thank you.