If you grew up trading oatmeal cream pies at the lunch table, this cake is going to feel like a warm hug.
This Oatmeal Cream Pie Cake takes everything lovable about that classic sandwich cookie and turns it into three tall layers of spiced oatmeal cake, each one spread with vanilla cream filling and finished with a creamy vanilla glaze that runs down the sides.
The layers bake up tender and hearty, scented with cinnamon and nutmeg in amounts meant to remind you of a real oatmeal cookie rather than a faint hint of spice. Between them sits a soft vanilla buttercream.
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Over the top goes a white chocolate glaze that sets to a gentle shine, and a scatter of crumbled oatmeal cream pie cookies gives you that first nostalgic bite.
This recipe comes from Cambrea Gordon, a professionally trained pastry chef, and the post is sponsored by Domino Sugar, which supplies the granulated and light brown sugars used here. It is a cozy choice for fall, a showstopper for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and honestly welcome on a plain Tuesday afternoon too.
Oatmeal desserts have a quiet kind of comfort, and this cake leans all the way into it. The crumb is tender but hearty enough to hold three layers without collapsing, and the warm spices, cinnamon and nutmeg, are dosed generously so every forkful tastes like the cookie you remember.
Then there is the vanilla cream. It is fluffy, lightly sweet, and thick enough to hold its shape between the layers, which is exactly what a three layer cake needs. The glaze on top is the finishing touch, thin and glossy with a soft white chocolate flavor that ties the whole thing together.
It also suits almost any occasion. Serve it for Thanksgiving, set it out at Christmas, or bring it to a potluck in the middle of summer. Three layers of cake, vanilla cream, and glaze make it look far more complicated than it is.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Before you start measuring, here is what each key ingredient is doing in this cake. Full measurements for all three components are in the table below.
Quick cook oats. These are soaked in hot water first, which softens them and gives the baked layers their moisture and chew. Skip the soak and you will feel the difference in the texture of the finished cake.
Domino Granulated Sugar. This recipe uses Domino Sugar’s Easy Baking Tub, which is simple to store and refill and lets you scoop straight from the container without digging through a bag.
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Domino Light Brown Sugar. Its dense texture and molasses flavor add both flavor and moisture, and they are a big part of why the cake tastes so much like the classic sandwich cookie.
Full fat sour cream. The extra fat in sour cream is what keeps the crumb tender instead of dry, so please do not reach for the light version here.
Vanilla bean paste. Used in the vanilla filling, it delivers a stronger, more rounded vanilla flavor than regular extract. If you do not keep it on hand, plain vanilla extract works as a substitute.
Component
Ingredients
Oatmeal Cake
2 1/2 cups water; 2 cups quick cook oats, uncooked; 2 2/3 cup all purpose flour; 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/2 tsp nutmeg; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 cup Domino Granulated Sugar; 1 cup Domino Light Brown Sugar, packed; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 1/4 cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
1 cup white chocolate chips; 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp heavy cream; white food coloring, optional; oatmeal cream pie cookies, for decorating
Recipe Instructions
Gather three 8 inch cake pans, a stand mixer or hand mixer, a rubber spatula, and a wire cooling rack. Prep time is about 3 hours, most of it hands off while the oats soak and the layers cool.
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Bake time is 20 minutes, and the full project runs roughly 3 hours 20 minutes from start to finish. One recipe makes 12 servings, and the steps below cover all three components in order.
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Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Line the bottoms of three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper and set them aside.
Soak the oats. Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a pot. Add 2 cups uncooked quick cook oats, stir, and remove the pot from the heat. Cover the pot for 20 minutes, then let the oatmeal cool to room temperature before you use it.
Whisk the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Set the bowl aside.
Cream the butter and sugars. In a stand mixer, beat 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter with 1 cup Domino Granulated Sugar and 1 cup packed Domino Light Brown Sugar on medium speed for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 3 room temperature large eggs, and 1/4 cup room temperature full fat sour cream. Mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Bring the batter together. Mix in the cooled cooked oats until just combined. Then fold in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. The batter will be very thick, and that is exactly what you want.
Bake the layers. Spread the batter into the prepared pans, about 600 g in each. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Cool the layers in the pans on a wire rack, then run a spatula around the edges to flip them out.
Make the vanilla frosting. In a stand mixing bowl, beat 2 1/2 cups room temperature unsalted butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in 4 cups powdered sugar on low speed. Once it is combined, increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.
Stack the cake. Place one oatmeal cake layer on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread 1 cup of vanilla frosting evenly over the top. Add the next layer and keep alternating cake and frosting, finishing with the top layer upside down so the surface is flat.
Add the thin coat. Spread the rest of the frosting across the sides and top of the cake in a thin, even layer. Set the cake aside while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze. Heat 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream on the stove or in the microwave, then pour it over 1 cup white chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Add a little white food coloring if you want a whiter glaze instead of a yellow one. Let the glaze cool before pouring so it does not melt the frosting.
Glaze and decorate. Set the cake on a wire rack with a pan underneath. Pour the glaze in the center and spread it outward to the edges so it runs down the sides. Let the glaze finish dripping and set, then decorate the top with crumbled oatmeal cream pie cookie crumbs and pieces.
Let the soaked oatmeal cool completely to room temperature before it goes into the batter. Warm oats will change the texture of the finished layers, and this is one of the easiest places to lose that soft, cookie like crumb.
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Professional Baking Tips
A few small habits separate a good layer cake from a great one, and these are the ones that matter most here.
Weigh your ingredients. A kitchen scale is more accurate than cup measurements, and the recipe card includes a metric button if you want to convert everything at once.
No scale? Fluff the flour first. Stir the flour with a spoon to aerate it, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and makes a dry cake.
Soak the oats well. Give them the full soak so they are soft before they go into the batter. Firm oats lead to a chewy, uneven crumb.
Do not overbake. Pull the layers when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Overbaked layers turn tough and dense instead of light and fluffy.
Cool before you frost. Warm cake will slide and melt your buttercream, so let the layers come all the way down to room temperature first.
The glaze is the last thing to think about, and it rewards a little patience. Let it cool slightly before it hits the cake, then pour slowly from the center and let gravity do the work around the edges.
If a few drips run unevenly, smooth them with the back of a spoon while the glaze is still soft. Once it sets, scatter the cookie crumbs and pieces over the top right before serving so they stay crisp.
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One note on the numbers: a single serving, about one twelfth of the cake, comes in around 844 calories, with 100 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 47 g fat, 28 g saturated fat, 2 g fiber, 70 g sugar, 470 mg sodium, and 149 mg cholesterol.
That calorie information is an estimate and its accuracy is not guaranteed, so treat it as a rough guide rather than a precise measurement.
If you are new to layer cakes, this is a forgiving one to practice on. The frosting covers a world of small imperfections, the glaze hides the rest, and the cookie crumbs on top make the whole thing look intentional. Take your time, taste as you go, and enjoy the process.
FAQs
What is oatmeal cream pie cake?
Oatmeal cream pie cake is a three-layer dessert inspired by the classic Little Debbie snack. It features moist spiced oatmeal cake layers, a creamy vanilla buttercream filling, and a white chocolate glaze. This cake combines the cozy flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar with a tender, cookie-like crumb, making it a popular choice for fall and Thanksgiving celebrations.
Can I use old fashioned oats instead of quick cook oats in oatmeal cream pie cake?
Yes, you can substitute old fashioned rolled oats for quick cook oats, but the texture will change. Quick cook oats break down more completely during soaking, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb that mimics the original cookie. Old fashioned oats retain more structure, producing a chewier cake with a coarser texture. Soak the oats in hot water for 20 minutes and let them cool to room temperature before adding to the batter.
How do you store oatmeal cream pie cake?
Store leftover slices of oatmeal cream pie cake by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and placing them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. For best flavor and texture, let the slices come to room temperature before serving. The cake can also be frozen whole or as individual slices for up to 1 month.
Why is my oatmeal cake dry?
A dry oatmeal cake is usually caused by overbaking or not properly hydrating the oats. Bake the cake layers at 350°F for only 20 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Also, ensure the quick cook oats are soaked in boiling water for exactly 20 minutes and cooled completely before mixing; this step locks in moisture so the oats do not absorb liquid from the batter during baking.
Oatmeal Cream Pie Cake If you grew up trading oatmeal cream pies at the lunch table, this cake is going to feel like a warm hug. This Oatmeal Cream Pie Cake takes everything lovable about that classic sandwich cookie and turns it into three tall layers of spiced oatmeal cake, each one spread with vanilla cream filling and finished with a creamy vanilla glaze that runs down the sides.
Total Time:200 min
Yield:12 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Oatmeal Cake 2 1/2 cups water 2 cups quick cook oats, uncooked 2 2/3 cup all purpose flour 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup Domino® Granulated Sugar 1 cup Domino® Light Brown Sugar, packed 1 tbsp vanilla extract 3 large eggs, room temperature 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
Glaze 1 cup white chocolate chips 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp heavy cream white food coloring oatmeal cream pie cookies, for decorating
Instructions
1-Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C: Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper on the bottoms and set them aside. 2-Bring a pot of water to a: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add in the oats, stir, and remove the pot from the heat. Cover the pot for 20 minutes. Let the oatmeal cool to room temperature before using. 3-Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt,: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside. 4-In a stand mixer, beat the butter: In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla, eggs, and sour cream and mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. 5-Mix in the cooked oats and mix: Mix in the cooked oats and mix until just combined. Then fold in the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. It will be a very thick batter! 6-Spread batter into pans (around 600g each): Spread batter into pans (around 600g each). Bake for 20-22 mins, until a toothpick comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Cool in pans on a wire rack, then run a spatula around the edges to flip them out. 7-Next, make the buttercream: Next, make the buttercream. In a stand mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Then mix in the powdered sugar on low speed. Once combined, increase the speed to medium and beat until the buttercream is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste. 8-Assemble by placing an oatmeal cake layer: Assemble by placing an oatmeal cake layer on a stand. Spread 1 cup of vanilla frosting on top. Add the next layer. Alternate cake and frosting layers, finishing with the top layer upside down for a flat surface. 9-Spread the rest of the frosting across: Spread the rest of the frosting across the sides and top of the cake in a thin, even layer. Set the cake aside while you make the glaze. 10-Heat cream on the stove or microwave,: Heat cream on the stove or microwave, then pour over the white chocolate chips, stirring to combine. Add the white food coloring for a less yellow tone (optional). Let it cool before pouring it over the cake to avoid melting the frosting. 11-Put the cake on a wire rack: Put the cake on a wire rack with a pan below. Pour the glaze in the center, spreading it to the edges so it falls off the sides. Let the glaze finish running off and set. Then decorate the top of the cake with crumbled oatmeal pie cookie crumbs and pieces.
Last Step:
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