This Apple Oatmeal Cake is a small-batch cake recipe with just 9 minutes of hands-on prep, and the whole thing is ready in a little over 30 minutes! You don't have to peel or core the apple, and you only dirty up one bowl. As an empty nester, that's my kind of apple and oatmeal bake!
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My oatmeal apple cake is a moist, tender snack cake made with shredded apple, hearty quick-cooking oats, and warm cinnamon, baked in a simple 8x8 or 9x9 pan. It's part shortcut apple dessert and part breakfast oatmeal cake, so don't be surprised if you catch yourself eating a square of it with your morning coffee. It’s one of my favorite easy cake recipes, because it includes healthy oats and less sugar than a typical sheet cake!
I grew up loving my mama's fresh apple cake. She baked it in a big 13x9 pan, and it meant creaming butter and sugar with the mixer and peeling a whole stack of apples at the kitchen table while we visited. I've made her cake for decades now, and I still love it, but these days it's usually just my husband and me at the table, so a whole 13x9 pan doesn't make as much sense anymore.
This little one-bowl version was born out of that recipe. It's my go-to when I want that same nostalgic apple cake flavor but in a size that fits our empty nest.
I love that it works well as a snack, a lunchbox treat for work, or a food gift for a friend who just had surgery or brought home a new baby. Sprinkle pecans on top to gild the lily!
If you're an apple-lover like me, this cake is in good company on the blog. My Baked Apple Fritters, Apple Pie Bombs, and my Apple Pie Dip are all favorites!
Shortcuts
- No peeling required. This is hands-down the best shortcut in the whole recipe. Shredding the apple, skin and all, means you skip one of the most tedious parts of apple baking altogether. Don't miss my trick to avoid coring the apple, too!
- One-bowl method. Everything comes together in a single large bowl, which means less mess and less time at the sink when it's all said and done.
- Small batch = less time. Since this cake bakes in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan instead of a full 13x9, it spends less time in the oven and doesn't require you to commit to a giant pan of cake you'll be eating on all week.
It's an easy coffee cake that doesn't require a mixer! Bonus!
Ingredients
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Eggs - Two large eggs give the cake structure and help bind everything together. Whisk them until frothy before adding the other wet ingredients for the best texture.
- Vegetable oil - Oil keeps this cake extra moist, and it's part of why you don't need a mixer or softened butter. Any neutral oil works.
- Granulated sugar and light brown sugar - Using both sugars gives the cake a little depth of flavor. The brown sugar in particular adds moisture and a hint of caramel.
- Vanilla extract - Just a teaspoon rounds out the flavor.
- Apples - You'll need 2 medium apples, shredded to make about 2 cups. Gala or Honeycrisp are my favorites here since they're sweet and holds moisture well.
- All-purpose flour - The base of the batter.
- Quick-cooking oats - These give the cake its heartiness and a little chew. Quick oats blend into the batter more smoothly than old-fashioned oats.
- Baking soda - This is your leavener, so don't skip it or the cake won't rise properly.
- Ground cinnamon or apple pie spice - Either works beautifully here. Apple pie spice will give you a slightly more complex, warm flavor.
- Salt - Just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
- Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) - Stir them in or sprinkle on top for a little crunch.
- Powdered sugar (optional) - A light dusting on top makes for a pretty, simple finish.
Substitutions & Variations
- Spices: Ground cinnamon works great, but if you want something a little more layered, swap in apple pie spice, which usually includes a touch of nutmeg and allspice.
- Oats: If quick-cooking oats aren't in your pantry, old-fashioned oats will work in a pinch. The cake will be just slightly more crumbly and won't hold together quite as neatly.
- Apple prep: You can finely chop the apple instead of shredding it if that's easier for you, but shredding really is what gives this cake its perfect moist texture — the shreds practically disappear into the batter as it bakes.
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Cake
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan. (I give you baking times for both.)
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy, then stir in the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and vanilla.
- Shred your apples to make 2 loosely packed cups. Then, gently squeeze out most of the liquid.
A little tip: Don't pour that fresh apple juice you squeezed out down the drain, drink it! It's full of vitamin C, and I love mixing mine with a splash of cranberry juice for a little afternoon treat while the cake bakes.
- Then stir the shredded apple into the sugar mixture.
- Add the flour and oats on top without stirring. Sprinkle the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt over the oats, and gently stir the dry ingredients together, without mixing into the wet ingredients below just yet.
- Now stir the dry ingredients down into the apple mixture, just until everything is moistened. Stir in the nuts if you're using them, or sprinkle them on top right before baking.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake 29 minutes for an 8x8 pan, or 25 minutes for a 9x9 pan, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan, then dust the top of this easy apple oatmeal cake with powdered sugar if you like.
Pro Tips
- Use the shredding attachment on your food processor. It makes quick work of shredding 2 cups of apple in just a few seconds, and it saves your knuckles if you don't have a stand grater handy.
- Squeeze out the extra apple liquid. Too much liquid left in the shredded apple can make your cake dense or soggy in the middle, so don't skip that gentle squeeze before stirring it into the batter.
- Don't overmix once the flour goes in. Stir just until the dry ingredients disappear into the wet batter. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour and can make the cake tougher instead of tender.
- Check for doneness a few minutes early. Ovens vary, so start checking your cake with a wooden pick around the 22-minute mark for a 9x9 pan so you don't accidentally overbake it.
What to Serve with Apple and Oatmeal Cake
This easy apple oatmeal cake recipe is casual enough to serve for a weekday coffee break but pretty enough to set out for company, too! I love serving it slightly warm with a drizzle of my Caramel Glaze and Sauce on top, or alongside a hot cup of coffee for an afternoon treat.
Storage
- To Store: Keep leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap the cooled, unglazed cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil or in a freezer zip-top bag, then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
FAQ's
Apple cake doesn't have to live in the fridge, since this recipe has no dairy-based frosting, it's fine covered at room temperature for a couple of days. If you want it to stay fresh longer than that refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
This usually happens if the shredded apple wasn't squeezed well enough before adding it to the batter.
Yes, you can double all the ingredients and bake it in a 9x13 pan, though you'll need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
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Apple Cake with Oatmeal
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Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples such as Gala or Honeycrisp (2 cups shredded) (no need to peel apple)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup quick-cooking oats
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan.
- Whisk the egg until frothy in a large bowl. Stir in the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, ½ cup of the brown sugar and vanilla.
- Shred enough of the apple to make 2 cups of loosely packed shredded apple. Gently squeeze out most of the liquid. Stir the shredded apple into the sugar mixture.
- Healthy tip: Don’t throw away that delicious fresh apple juice! Drink it! It’s chock full of vitamin C. I love to mix it with cranberry juice.
- One Bowl Method: Add the flour and oats without stirring. Sprinkle the cinnamon, baking soda and salt over the oats. Loosely stir the dry ingredients together without incorporating the wet ingredients below, yet. Now, stir the dry ingredients into the apple mixture below it, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Stir in the nuts, if using, or sprinkle them on top right before baking, if you like.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 29 minutes in an 8x8 pan or 25 minutes in a 9x9 pan or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, if you like.
- Yield: 9 servings
Notes
- Apples: Gala or Honeycrisp work well but most any apple will work. No need to peel, just wash and shred. Baking apples like Granny Smith will work too, but you might want to peel those.
- Oats: Quick-cooking oats give the most tender crumb. Old-fashioned oats can be substituted, but the cake will be slightly more crumbly.
- Don't skip the squeeze: Press out as much liquid as you can from the shredded apple before adding it to the batter, or the cake might turn out dense. Drink the juice!
- Check early: Ovens vary, so start checking for doneness with a toothpick around 22 minutes for a 9x9 pan.
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
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