Easy Oatmeal Apple Cake
Looking for a cozy, fall-inspired dessert that’s both wholesome and delicious? This easy oatmeal apple cake is packed with simple ingredients and finished with a satisfying streusel topping. Whether you’re serving it for breakfast, dessert, or as an afternoon snack, this cake hits all the fall feels.
Erica’s Thoughts:
I’m slowly transitioning from a zucchini baking frenzy to an apple baking frenzy. We get a weekly CSA and right now we are in the thick of apples and pears! We haven’t been able to eat apples as fast as they’ve been coming, so I started to think about which apple baking recipes I want to tackle.
My idea for this loaf/bread/cake was for a wholesome cake that boasted whole grain oats, lots of apple, warm spices and was naturally sweetened with the apple and maple syrup. BUT I still wanted the cake to be super moist, dense and indulgent. The buttermilk and melted butter make for a super tender crumb and the streusel topping takes the cake over the top. The topping and glaze are optional, buuuuttt you should make them.
I could’ve also called this ‘apple oatmeal breakfast cake’ because we’ve been eating a slice for breakfast every morning paired with cheesy scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. My girls LOVE it and it’s such a convenient way to get in healthy whole grains and fruit! The cake on its own is not all that sweet (ahem, perfect for breakfast) and then the streusel topping adds a sweet crunch factor that makes it more irresistible (ahem, helloooo dessert). It’s the best of both worlds! And perfect for apple season, let’s make it!
What You’ll Need to Make the Best Apple Cake:
Oats: this recipe calls for old-fashioned oats that we then process into ‘oat flour’. You can skip this step and simply use oat flour but most folks have oats but not oat flour, so that’s how the recipe is written.
White whole wheat flour: just a little bit of ‘regular’ whole grain flour helps provide structure for the cake. If you don’t have white whole wheat you can use regular whole wheat or all purpose flour.
Pumpkin pie spice: pumpkin pie spice is a blend of spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. I use it in baking recipes for convenience and to hit all of those spices but if you don’t have it, refer to the recipe notes on the proportions of spices to sub!
Leavening agents: we use both baking powder and baking soda for this recipe.
Salt: to lift the over all flavors. I recommend fine sea salt or kosher salt.
Eggs: eggs provide structural integrity for the cake and add several grams of protein.
Butter: butter is the primary source of fat and makes a moist cake. I use salted butter.
Maple syrup: pure maple syrup adds just the right amount of sweetness. You could also use brown sugar.
Vanilla extract: complements the pumpkin spice and apple flavor! Find it in the baking aisle of any grocery store but I like to get the big jug at Costco for the best price!
Buttermilk: buttermilk provides an amazing tender crumb and contributes to the overall moisture and richness of this easy oatmeal apple cake. You can find it at the grocery store in the milk refrigerator.
Apples: the star of the show! There are many apple varieties and any type will work. You can use tart apples like Granny Smith but I like sweeter apples like cosmic crisp, fuji or gala apples.
Streusel topping: you’ll need extra oats, flour, pumpkin pie spice and butter in addition to pecans and brown sugar for the easy topping.
How to Make Easy Oatmeal Apple Cake
Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prep the Pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8-inch cake pan with cooking spray, and for easy removal, line it with parchment paper, leaving an inch overhang on both sides.
Step 2: Make the Streusel
In a medium bowl, mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and chopped pecans. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir until the mixture forms clumps. Set the streusel aside.
Step 3: Dry Ingredients
Add the rolled oats to a blender or food processor and blend until you have a fine oat flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, white whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 4: Wet Ingredients
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, and buttermilk. Grate the apples using a box grater or food processor and stir apple pieces into the wet ingredients.
Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently fold the batter together using a spatula, being careful not to overmix. Spoon batter into the prepared cake pan. Crumble the streusel on top of the cake, gently pressing it in so it adheres.
Step 6: Bake the Cake
Place cake in the preheated oven and bake for 37-40 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing it to slice. Drizzle the cooled cake with glaze, if using.
Expert Tips and Variation Ideas
- You can buy oat flour– which is simply finely processed oats OR you can use a blender or food processor to make your own.
- You can use brown sugar instead of maple syrup but honey does not substitute quite as well in dense cakes/breads like these.
- Feel free to add raisins, dried fruit, chopped walnuts or almonds to the batter for extra texture.
- For apple oatmeal bread- simply bake in a loaf pan for 55-65 minutes.
- If I’m not drizzling with glaze I love to serve this drizzled with almond butter or Biscoff. Whipped cream is also never a bad idea.
FAQs
Use 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons oat flour.
Store cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Yes! You can wrap the entire cake in plastic wrap and place in a 2-gallon Ziploc bag and seal OR wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm in the microwave before serving.
To reheat, simply pop a slice in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, toast in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes or warm in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes.
For the cake batter, yes, you can use an equal amount of avocado oil, vegetable oil or a neutral-flavored oil. But for the streusel, I recommend butter or a non-dairy butter alternative like Earth Balance. You could also use a solid at room temp oil like refined coconut oil.
I haven’t recipe-tested a gluten-free version but I feel confident that results would be similar using certified gluten-free oats and a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Place one teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Add any variety of milk to equal exactly 1/2 cup. Whisk and let sit for 5 minutes before adding per the recipe.
If you love this apple oat cake you’ll love these other oatmeal-inspired easy recipes!
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
I hope you love this apple oatmeal cake recipe as much as we do, happy baking!
Print
Easy Oatmeal Apple Cake
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 37-40 minutes
- Total Time: 47-57 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Subtle apple flavor, warm-you-up spices and dense whole grain goodness. This apple oatmeal cake does triple duty as a convenient breakfast, delicious dessert and lovely Autumn snack!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/2 cup rolled oats (makes 1 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour)
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (or brown sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature* (or 1/2 up any milk of choice + 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar, see notes)
- 2 apples, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
Streusel
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch cake pan. I like to line the pan with parchment paper with about an inch overhang on both sides to easily remove the cake.
- Make the streusel: stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and chopped pecans in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir (or use your hands!) until everything is evenly moistened and clumps together in small clusters. Set streusel aside.
- Dry ingredients: Add oats to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend into a fine flour. If you are using premade oat flour use the amount stated. Pour oat flour into a large mixing bowl and add white whole wheat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring to combine.
- Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and buttermilk. Grate apple on a box grater or using the grating blade of a food processor. Stir in the grated apple (no need to blot or remove juice).
- Combine: Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold the batter together, taking care not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Crumble on the streusel topping, gently pressing it in to the cake.
- Bake: Bake cake for 37-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing. Drizzle with cream cheese glaze if desired (recipe in the notes!) or drizzled with almond butter!
Grab a mug of tea and fork, good things await. 🤤
Notes
- Cream cheese glaze: whisk together 2oz softened cream cheese and 1oz (2 tablespoons) softened butter. Add ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and a splash of vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth, adding another splash or two of milk until desired consistency is reached. You can also do this with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Buttermilk: if you don’t have buttermilk, place 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add 1/2 cup any milk of choice and whisk- let sit 5 minutes before using. The acidity in buttermilk helps react with the baking soda to help the cake rise and creates a tender, moist crumb. You can make an easy buttermilk sub with nearly any milk!
- See above blog post for expert tips, ingredient information and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2.5×2.5-inch piece (nutrition info calculated without glaze)
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 236.4 mg
- Fat: 13.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 44.6 g
- Fiber: 4.1 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 74.4 mg
love it! such an easy and quick recipe to make. we tried it with the cream cheese drizzle. it is very flavorful and moist. my daughter loved it so it will become another ‘regular’ in our house.
This recipe is amazing..it reads like a “healthy tasting” cake, and tastes like a gourmet cake. I made some subs, used a French pain d’epices instead of pumpkin spice, because i prefer those flavors, yogurt instad of buttermilk, half the butter with olive oil, and 9 grain flour for whole wheat. Walnuts( doubled them) instead of pecans, and added dry cranberries, because I have too many. It was moist, and fluffy, sweet, apple-y and
I love it, husband does too. That being said, I’m sure this recipe is perfect as written, and subs were mostly due to my supply shortage..Thanks for a keeper
Woohoo!! This is fabulous Susie, thank you for sharing all of your substitution ideas!!
Absolutely delicious! Tastes like an apple cinnamon roll, perfect for fall breakfast with coffee or an afternoon sweet treat.
The streusel topping adds a nice sweet crunch so the glaze is optional but I highly recommend!
My picky toddler happily ate this.
Will definitely be making again.
Yay happy to hear Brittany! My toddlers also ate the heck out this- made it three times for the video, the photos, etc. so they were happy haha!
This was an innovative way to incorporate oats! I only had cinnamon and had to make the buttermilk using the measurements provided. Everyone loved it and couldn’t tell there was whole wheat flour in it. Score!
Outstanding!! I can’t decide if this is healthy or indulgent because it’s amazing on all fronts. Absolutely scrumptious. I didn’t have cream cheese so just used a simple glaze without it. I love the texture of the oat flour/cake. Can’t wait to make it again and share with friends!
Yaaay! Happy to hear this Erin! Glad you loved it 🙂
This apple cake was so good! It had cinnamon roll vibes and would have been delicious with just the streusel but the cream cheese glaze definitely took it over the top.
Could flax eggs work fine instead of the 2 eggs?
Yes, that will work!
This is incredibly delicious. I used walnuts instead of pecans and left off the glaze. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Amazing Carmen, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for making and for your review, I appreciate you 🙂
I made this cake for my birthday dinner that my daughter prepared. It was moist and flavorful. My son in law took 2 pieces. I skipped the cream cheese because the streusel seemed like it would be fine without it. I had to grind my own wheat berries so I used soft white wheat and our home grown stayman apples. I loved it. It was more wholesome than other recipes. Thank you