Baked Oatmeal Cake

Step 1

Set the oven to 350°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan by brushing melted butter or oil all over the inside surface, including the bottom and all four sides.

Step 3

Pour the 2 cups of rolled oats, 1.5 cups of flour, 0.75 cup of brown sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 0.25 teaspoon of salt into a large mixing bowl.

Step 4

Stir the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or whisk until the brown sugar is evenly mixed throughout and there are no lumps of cinnamon or baking powder visible, about 1 minute.

Step 5

Pour the 0.5 cup of melted butter and the 2 eggs into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Step 6

Stir everything together with a wooden spoon until no streaks of flour or dry oats remain and the batter looks uniform and slightly wet, about 1 minute—do not overmix.

Step 7

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread it into an even, flat layer, reaching all four corners.

Step 8

Place the pan in the preheated 350°F oven on the middle rack and bake for 25–30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Step 9

Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a counter or cooling rack for 10 minutes so the cake firms up enough to cut without crumbling.

Step 10

Cut the cake into 8 equal squares (cut 2 vertical lines and 3 horizontal lines to make a grid) and serve warm or at room temperature.