Breakfast never tasted so good! Old fashioned Caramel Coconut Pecan Oatmeal Cake made with just a handful of ingredients you already have on hand!
You know that saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” ? I not one to agree with it unless we’re talking cake for breakfast! I’m always up for that!
And if we’re talking an easy peasy old fashioned oatmeal cake packed with warm spices and topped with a caramel nutty frosting, well, that’s my love language!
Oatmeal is by far my favorite breakfast. May it be topped with fresh or dried fruit, packed with nuts and a few chocolate shavings for good measure, 5 out of 7 days that’s how I start my day.
The rest of the week, well, it’s cake or cookie time! 
This oatmeal cake has been in my family for a couple of years. I found it on one of those recipe cards that has the writing barely noticeable. You can tell it’s been handed down for many generations and made lots of people happy. Yes, a bite of this cake can make you grin from ear to ear.
You know what makes me smile even more? Telling myself this is a healthy cake (don’t burst my bubble) I mean it’s packed with oatmeal. Oatmeal is good for you, right? And it calls for whole wheat flour. Totally healthy!
In addition to the oats, you’ll also need a couple of ingredients i can guarantee you already have in your fridge/pantry – butter, eggs, brown sugar, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.
The warm spices can be replaced with your favorite – I’ve used ground ginger, cloves, allspice. Or add vanilla extract. You can’t go wrong!
The process is very easy! You don’t even need to bring out the stand mixer! Soak the oats, mix it with the egg and sugar. Stir in the flour and spices and dump the cake into a baking pan. Doesn’t that sound easy?
The caramel sauce on top is my favorite! I could eat it with a spoon and call it breakfast! Butter is mixed with brown sugar for that caramel flavor and with a spatula fold in coconut flakes and pecans. Spread it over the cake.
The hardest part? Waiting for the Caramel Coconut Pecan Oatmeal Cake to cool down!
Oatmeal cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup butter, diced
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt
Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup half and half or whole milk
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extrcat
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 11X7" baking dish. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan bring the water to boil. Add the oats and 1/4 cup butter.
- Cook for 5 minutes over low flame stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
- In a mixing bowl add the egg and the 3/4 cup brown sugar. Stir to combine.
- Spoon the oat mixture into the mixing bowl over the egg. Stir to combine.
- Gently fold in the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Spoon the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. The batter is really thick.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, turning the broiler on.
While the cake is baking, make the sauce.
- In a medium saucepan melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter. Stir in the brown sugar and half and half and stir until combined.
- Remove from the heat and fold in the coconut flakes, pecans and vanilla extract.
- Spoon the sauce over the warm cake.
- Return to the oven and broil for an additional 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting says
This is calling my name!
Kathleen says
Can “quick cooking” oats be used? That is all we use in our house.
Gail Dickinson says
Yes, you can use quick cooking oats.
Wendy says
Can I just use all-purpose flour instead of the whole wheat flour?
Vicki says
If one doesn’t have whole wheat flour, can all purpose flour just be used? Also, what about unsweetened coconut? Heavy cream in lieu of half-and-half? Thanks, this looks delicious.
Marsha says
FrFrom everything that I’ve read, it is fine to use regular all-purpose flour in place of the whole wheat flour.
Becky says
I first made this cake for a family dinner. My daughter-in-law raved about it and insisted I give her the recipe. I have made it 3 more times in the last 6 months. The only change I make is to use unsweetened coconut since that is what I stock in my pantry. It comes out beautiful every time. The cake is moist and the topping is good enough to eat all by itself. I can only make it for group events or I will eat the whole thing myself.
Definitely a 5 star recipe!