Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is a simple, delicious cake that tastes like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Nothing fancy, just a yummy cake that will become one of your favorites.

overhead shot of a piece of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie cake with cream cheese frosting on a white plate with a bite on a fork on

I’ve been doing a lot of baking lately. Hmmmm, I wonder why . . . . .#stupidcoronavirus #homequarantine

I posted this Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting almost six years ago, and I forgot how good it is. It had been awhile since I’ve made it, but after making recently, I knew immediately it needed to be dug up from my archives and given a chance to shine again with some new photos and added notes.

I love a good cake, and this is a good cake.

It’s simple, uncomplicated, calls for basic ingredients and just plain delicious.

This oatmeal chocolate chip cake is basically oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in cake form, topped off with cream cheese frosting. . . sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? It is, trust me.

Overhead shot of a pan of oatmeal chocolate chip cake with cream cheese frosting with one piece taken out

This cake is simple, it doesn’t require any strange ingredients, just basic pantry staples which is a good thing right now with all that’s going on in the world.

This cake is seriously delicious you guys! So delicious in fact, when I took it to a party years ago, it made my friend “blow her diet” as she put it. She tried to just have one little bite, but couldn’t stop. So the moral of this story is, if you’re on a diet, you probably shouldn’t make this cake, but do it anyway because #homequarantine.

CAN I LEAVE THE FROSTING OFF?

If you’re not a fan of frosting, then go ahead and leave it off. Or, if you would rather put buttercream frosting on it instead of cream cheese frosting, you certainly can do that. If you decide to leave the frosting off, try serving this cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Side note: I absolutely wouldn’t leave the frosting off. . . just sayin’.)

piece of oatmeal chocolate chip cake with a glass of milk behind it

MY CHOCOLATE CHIPS SUNK TO THE BOTTOM, WHAT DID I DO WRONG?

Don’t panic if this happens because chances are it probably will one of the times you make this cake. I’ve made this cake many, many times and sometimes the chocolate chips sink to the bottom, and sometimes they don’t. It’s kind of a crapshoot. Tossing them in flour isn’t always a guarantee that they won’t sink. But if they do sink, it’s not a bad thing. Last time I checked, a layer of chocolate on the bottom of a cake is quite a beautiful thing.

CAN I USE LIGHT BROWN SUGAR?

I have made this cake using both both light and dark brown sugar, and I love it slightly more with the dark brown sugar. That being said, please don’t feel like you have to run out and buy some brown sugar. The brown sugar does give it deeper flavor, a more “caramely” taste, but it is still plenty delicious using light brown sugar.

Hope you’re still staying safe and sane through all this craziness! Now go do some baking.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Author: 5boysbaker.com
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Yield: 15 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

Cake:

1 1/4 cups water
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup softened butter, cut into small cubes
2 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cream cheese frosting:

5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x13-inch metal baking pan. Set aside.
Bring the water to a boil. Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl and toss them with the 2 tablespoons of flour. This will keep them from settling at the bottom during baking. Set aside.
Place the oats and butter cubes in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the oat mixture, wait 30 seconds, and stir to moisten all the oats and melt the butter. Let the oat mixture cool for 20 to 25 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, both sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon until combined. Fold in the cooled oatmeal and stir until well combined. Gently fold in the remaining flour and then the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.

Frosting:

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until it completely smooth.
Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until smooth.
Frost the cooled the cake with cream cheese frosting. Cut into pieces and serve.

Notes

Be sure not to overbake this cake! I have a few times and it’s just not as good.
The frosted cake can be keep, refrigerated and tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Remove from fridge about 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve it.

Category: Cakes & Cupcakes

Recipe Source: Baked Explorations

Originally Posted May 2, 2014