Irish Oatmeal Cake

Lightly spiced with a golden topping makes this Irish Oatmeal Cake recipe a simple, but tasty cake that closely resembles hummingbird cake in it’s moist texture.

Slicing into this cake will have some of the topping scatter off and you will likely serve it up and think about how it looks like an old fashioned cake and it is…but it’s also really tasty in that comforting way cakes are.

Ingredients and substitutions for Irish Oatmeal Cake

• Oats: Simple rolled oats were used here, no quick oats or steel oats which might result in a different texture within the cake.
• Brown sugar: Light brown sugar is best because it adds a light caramel flavor without overpowering the cake and compliments the ground spices beautifully. For the topping this also allows the flavors of the coconut and walnuts to shine through.
• Superfine or caster sugar: The light sugar adds sweetness to the cake. You could substitute in equal measure with brown sugar.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs add structure to the cake and bind everything together so are essential.
• Flour: Plain or all purpose flour is best because it gives our cake a nice light crumb. You could substitute with self rising flour, however, will need to omit the baking soda.
• Baking soda: This is the key to the cake rising thanks to the brown sugar (the acid that baking soda needs to work with to rise) so don't leave it out, unless you are using self raising flour.
• Ground spices: The ground cinnamon and nutmeg give our cake a depth of flavor which you could opt to leave out, however, the result would likely be a sweet cake with little other flavor.
• Flaked coconut: Large pieces of coconut are perfect on this and I do not recommend using desiccated or shredded coconut because those large chunks are what make this cake.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Irish Oatmeal Cake:

Step 1: Stir: The oats and boiling water into a medium heatproof bowl and allow to sit for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Whip: The butter and sugars in a separate bowl until pale and fluffy.

Step 3: Whisk: The eggs and vanilla extract together.

Step 4: Stir: The oats and eggs together then add in the butter sugar mixture and whip until smooth.

Step 5: Dry: Stir the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg in a separate bowl and toss into the oatmeal mixture.

Step 6: Tin: Stir together to form your batter and pour into your cake tin and bake until golden.

Step 7: Whip topping: Whip butter and sugar until pale then toss in remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

Step 8: Spread: Spoon on top of the cake and spread out evenly. Grilling until golden

Step 9: Slice: Serve up with your favorite hot beverage and dig in!

More oatmeal recipes you’ll enjoy

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Hjónabandssaela - Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake

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Irish Oatmeal Cake

Sylvie Taylor

This old fashioned Irish Oatmeal Cake recipe is lightly spiced and includes a caramelized coconut and walnut topping that is perfect for those occasions where you want an unfussy slice of cake that is both tasty and comforting.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Irish

Servings 10

Calories 491 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Oatmeal Cake

• 90 grams / 1 cup rolled oats
• 310 grams / 1 ¼ cups boiling water
• 110 grams / 3.9 ounces butter room temperature
• 200 grams / 1 cup brown sugar
• 75 grams / ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon superfine/caster sugar
• 90 grams / 2 medium eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 240 grams / 1 ½ cups plain flour
• 5 grams / 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Topping

• 84 grams / 6 tablespoons butter room temperature
• 100 grams / ½ cup brown sugar
• 75 grams / ¾ cup walnuts roughly chopped
• 75 grams / 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and line a 20 cm or 8 inch round cake tin with parchment paper.

Oatmeal cake

• Place the oats and boiling water into a medium heatproof bowl and stir. Set aside for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugars in another bowl, until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
• In a small separate bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together.
• Stir the oats until smooth and add in the eggs, stirring until well combined.
• Add in the creamed butter and sugar to the oatmeal mix and stir to combine until smooth.
• In a large separate bowl, place the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg and stir together.
• Pour in the oatmeal mixture and stir to form your cake batter, until no dry portions remain in the base of your bowl.
• Pour into your cake tin and smooth out the top.
• Place in the oven and bake until golden and a skewer comes out clean, approximately 45 minutes.

Topping

• Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat on medium until pale and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
• Toss in the coconut, walnuts and vanilla extract and stir until everything is coated in the butter mixture.
• Spoon the topping onto the hot cake and smooth out.
• Change the setting on your oven to grill or broil.
• Place under the grill until golden and bubbling, approximately 2 ½ minutes, it’s best to stand by and watch your cake at this point as the color changes swiftly.
• Remove and allow to cool.
• Slice and serve with your favorite hot beverage.
• Dig in!

Video

Notes

• Brown sugar: Light brown sugar is best because it adds a light caramel flavor without overpowering the cake and compliments the ground spices beautifully. For the topping this also allows the flavors of the coconut and walnuts to shine through.
• Oats: Simple rolled oats were used here, no quick oats or steel oats which might result in a different texture within the cake.
• Ground spices: The ground cinnamon and nutmeg give our cake a depth of flavor which you could opt to leave out, however, the result would likely be a sweet cake with little other flavor.
• Flaked coconut: Large pieces of coconut are perfect on this and I do not recommend using desiccated or shredded coconut because those large chunks are what make this cake.
• Cake tin: A round spring form tin was used to get the cake out of the tin easily, however, a standard cake tin of similar size would also work well.

Adapted from key ingredient

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal

Keyword cake, coconut, nut baking

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!