This Irish Oatmeal Cake Recipe is great for St. Patrick’s day, but it can definitely be enjoyed year-round. This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

Main Ingredients & Supplies Shopping List

▢ old fashioned oats or quick cooking oats
▢ butter
▢ sugar
▢ packed brown sugar
▢ eggs
▢ flour
▢ baking soda
▢ cinnamon
evaporated milk
▢ coconut
▢ walnuts or pecans

This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

 

What’s the Difference Between Instant Oats and Old Fashioned Oats?

Old Fashioned Oats – also known as “regular rolled oats.” These oats have been removed from their hull, lightly steamed, and then sent through a roller. Of the various types of rolled oats, these are the thickest and coarsest in texture.

Quick-Cooking Oats – these oats go through the same process as old fashioned oats, except that they are rolled out much thinner than old fashioned. Which means less cook time!

Instant Oats – also hulled, steamed, and pressed thin; but these oats go through an additional process which allows them to be cooked rapidly in the microwave. They are partially cooked before packaging, and they are typically sold in small, singe-portion packs.

This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

 

Can Quick-Cooking Oatmeal be Used in Baking?

Yes! It’s just important to understand the different textures once baked among the different types of oatmeals, so that you can choose one that will fit your taste.

Instant oatmeal will create a baked good that has an oat-y flavor, but the texture will be more smooth and slightly less chewy than what you’d get with old fashioned oats

Since old fashioned oats take longer to soften than instant oats (and since you can’t adjust the baking time of your cake, cookies, or bread to accommodate the difference in types of oatmeal), you’ll end up with a much heartier texture than if you were to use quick-cooking oats.

This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

 

Coconut Pecan Frosting

The coconut pecan topping on this old fashioned oatmeal cake is easily my favorite part. It’s SO GOOD! 

It’s very similar to the frosting you might see on a German chocolate cake, but it’s not quite so thick. In this recipe, the coconut pecan topping is much more of a caramel sauce than a frosting. It seeps into the warm cake, which keeps it moist and also gives each bite a caramel-like flavor.

This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

Irish Oatmeal Cake

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

This is a family favorite recipe that we serve for breakfast, brunch, dessert, and snacks. It’s delicious fresh and warm from the oven; but it’s just as good (or better) when it’s served at room temperature and the topping has had enough time to seep into the cake.

Ingredients

  • old fashioned oats or quick cooking oats
  • butter
  • sugar
  • packed brown sugar
  • eggs
  • flour
  • baking soda
  • cinnamon
  • evaporated milk
  • coconut
  • walnuts or pecans

Instructions

CLICK HERE for the full recipe on the Dixie Crystal's website.

More Cake Recipes

Ashton • Keaton • Mia

Co-Owners at Keat's Eats
Ashton and Keaton began blogging together in 2016 as a passion project. Both siblings are lovers of food, family gatherings, and entrepreneurial pursuits, which made starting a food blog together a no-brainer.