Just like grandma used to make, old fashioned Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake with rhubarb, delicious served warm, this gooey gooey vintage cake recipe is a great dessert!

Lazy Daisy cakes are so delicious! The origin of these oatmeal-type cakes date back to around the 1940's, so we can safely say this is a vintage recipe, with a few adaptations.

The cake is very easy to make, and with the addition of oatmeal, which we soaked in hot milk first, this makes for a moist, soft cake crumb.

What's inside the cake?

This recipe can be as versatile as you like. We've added some delicious rhubarb. The rhubarb gives a little sharpness to the cake which balances out with the sweetness you get from the sugar in the cake and the topping. You could use strawberries, blueberries or other fruits, we suggest sticking to the quantity of fruit listed in the ingredients.

What is the topping made from?

The topping is made up of oatmeal, sugar, and butter. Think of a streusel topping but a bit stickier. Normally, with a streusel topping, you would add it before baking, like our Easy Rhubarb Cake recipe we have.

However, for this lazy daisy cake, it's traditional to add the topping after the cake has baked, and pop it under a hot grill/broiler, and those golden nuggets of topping go bubbly and slightly crisp, slightly chewy and spread all over the cake from the heat. The result is a slight caramel type topping with a crunchy texture from the oatmeal.

How do I make a Lazy Daisy cake?

As far as this old-fashioned recipe goes, it's easy enough to make.

You need a bowl and a wooden spoon. You can of course use an electric mixer if you have one. I guess back in the 1940s when this cake originated, electric mixers would have been really expensive.

So follow the easy recipe below, mix all your cake ingredients together, bake the cake, and whilst it's baking, make up the quick topping and add that after baking and pop it under the grill to melt and go bubbly.

Once ready, make sure you allow the cake to cool for 20 - 30 minutes before you slice it. As with all cakes, they need to have a little time to cool down and rest before slicing to avoid them falling apart.

You can serve these in slices as they are, warm or cooled, or add some custard, whipped cream or a blob of ice cream.

This cake would be great to take to a potluck or a party, and equally, would be great for a family dessert. It will store nicely in an air-tight container for 3 - 4 days (if it lasts that long of course!).

So let's get to the recipe and see how easy it is to make this delicious vintage lazy daisy cake with rhubarb.

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F or 170 C.
Grease and line with parchment paper an 8-inch square baking pan.

For the cake, pour boiling milk over oats in a medium bowl and mix well mix well.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon or mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well blended. Add beaten egg and vanilla,and beat well.

Add the oat milk mixture, flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix.

Add the rhubarb, combine.

Transfer the cake batter into the pan and level the batter.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

For the topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl

Using 2 round-bladed knives, combine the mixture until it resembles large clumps.

Spread evenly over the top of the cake

and place under a hot grill/broil until it starts to bubble and just turns slightly golden.

Remove and leave in the cake pan for 20 minutes to rest.

Transfer to a cooling rack. Slice when cooled.

Store in an air-tight container, or serve as it is or with some fresh whipped cream, custard, or ice cream.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

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