This Honey and Olive Oil Oat Flour Cake is soft, fluffy and delicious. It's gluten-free, and dairy-free and comes together in one bowl!
This recipe was originally posted in March 2020 and was updated and retested with new ingredients in May 2022.
This oat flour cake is the perfect gluten and dairy-free treat. It is made with wholesome oats and sweetened with honey. It only requires one bowl so grab the ingredients and let's start making this cake!
Oats aren't just for oatmeal anymore, they can be used in so many different recipes. I use oats in many baked goods, check out my Oat Flour Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Bread and Peanut Butter Gluten-Free Cookie Bars. Oats are also a great addition to smoothies, pancakes, waffles and meatloaf.
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🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- One bowl recipe. This cake requires just one large mixing bowl and one square baking pan. Who doesn't love a recipe that requires only a few dishes?!
- Simple ingredients. There are no crazy ingredients required for this recipe. It's highly likely you already have everything on hand at home.
- Perfect for those with allergies. This cake is gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free!
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oat flour- use gluten-free oats, if needed, otherwise, regular rolled or quick cook oats will work great. Oats are naturally gluten-free but are sometimes processed with other grains, so be sure the package says gluten-free if you have sensitivities.
- Gluten-free flour- you must use a 1:1 flour for this recipe. I prefer Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur brands.
- Olive oil- olive oil gives such a distinct flavor to this cake and pairs very well with honey. You can also use avocado oil, coconut oil or vegetable oil.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
🔪Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8-inch aluminum baking dish with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
- Next, mix the cake batter. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Frost the cake. Once the cake has cooled, frost it, if desired, cut it into equal-sized pieces and enjoy!
📋How to make oat flour
Oat flour is so easy to make, it is just ground oats! You can buy pre-made oat flour but it's so much cheaper to make it yourself. Simply add quick cook or rolled oats to your blender or food processor; and blend until flour forms, approximately 30 seconds - 1 minute.
💭Recipe FAQs
The texture is different from cakes made with all-purpose or cake flour because oat flour is more grainy.
If the cake is frosted, it is best stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. If the cake is unfrosted, it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
I do not recommend freezing this cake.
Unless a recipe specifically calls for oat flour, it is not a good substitute for all-purpose or cake flour.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- Measure your oat flour amount AFTER you have ground it into flour, this makes for a more accurate ratio in recipes. Also, make sure the oat flour is ground finely like traditional flour, otherwise, the cake will have a weird texture.
- Use a metal or aluminum pan for this recipe, using a glass pan will result in uneven baking. The inside of the cake will be underdone and the outside will be very dark and possibly overcooked.
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the batter.
- Ensure your baking soda and baking powder are still good to use. They should be stored in a dark, dry place for no more than 6 months. Use this resource to test if your leavening ingredients are still good.
🥗Serving Suggestions
This cake makes an excellent dessert for any night of the week. Serve it after enjoying my Meatball and Couscous Soup, Mediterranean-Style Pita Pockets, or Sweet Chili Chicken Stir Fry.
If you're looking for something to wash it down, try my Vegan Spiked Hot Chocolate or Vodka Sour.
More Baked Goods
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📋 Recipe
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Olive Oil Oat Flour Cake
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups oat flour*
- 1 cup gluten-free flour, (make sure it is a 1:1 flour)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup honey
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 inch aluminum baking dish with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Honey Coconut Frosting
- Scoop cream off the top of the can of coconut cream and add to a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix with a whisk or hand mixer until smooth.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan, frost, if desired and cut into equal-sized pieces. Enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Measure your oat flour amount AFTER you have ground it into flour, this makes for a more accurate ratio in recipes. Also, make sure the oat flour is ground finely like traditional flour, otherwise, the cake will have a weird texture.
- Use a metal or aluminum pan for this recipe, using a glass pan will result in uneven baking. The inside of the cake will be underdone and the outside will be very dark and possibly overcooked.
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the batter.
- Ensure your baking soda and baking powder are still good to use. They should be stored in a dark, dry place for no more than 6 months. Use this resource to test if your leavening ingredients are still good.
The cookbook is packed with easy-to-follow recipes that require only 6 ingredients to help you simplify your weeknights. Includes kitchen tips, ingredient swaps & grocery lists!
Selina Posthumus says
Hi Sarah, This is totally doable as muffins too. I did the recipe exactly but used silicone muffin cups on a cookie sheet for about 30 minutes at 350degreees and they came out easily and they are super yummy to eat with some peanut butter slathered on them. Will be making again.
Sarah Hill says
Hi Selina, ooh I will have to make this into muffins next time! I love that you added peanut butter, one of my favorite ways to eat muffins.
G says
The most peculiar recipe I have ever made
It came out like Play-Doh in the bowl before I put it in the pan. What a waste of all these ingredients!!!
I had to throw this in the trash! It is absolutely the most ridiculous recipe I’ve ever encountered in my life. There is no rhyme or reason to it .
Everything is just thrown in a large bowl , it looks nothing like the pictures. Believe me, it’s not me because I bake.
I know how to read,I also know how to measure.
So I would not recommend this recipe unless when you print this thing there are missing parts. ?????!!!!
Sarah Holt says
Hi G, thank you for this feedback! You aren’t the first person to comment that they had difficulty with this recipe so I updated it last Fall. I would love to help you figure out what went wrong. Please feel free to email me at sarah@realfoodwithsarah.com.
Megan says
Ideas if I can use oat flour instead of regular gluten free 1 to 1 flour?
Sarah Holt says
Hi Megan, you can try using only oat flour in this cake instead of adding the gluten free flour. As an FYI, the cake will be pretty crumbly and you may need to add more than an additional cup of oat flour, possibly 1 1/3-1 1/2 cups. Let me know if you try it and how it comes out.
Vaishnavi says
Can I use whole wheat flour in place of gluten free flour?
Sarah Holt says
Hi Vaishnavi, I have not tested it but it should work okay.
Vaishnavi says
Thanks a lot for giving reply. I opened your page to check your reply to my message. Im going to try this recipe now and I’ll share my experience.
Sarah Holt says
Thanks! This will help to update the recipe if necessary
Stephanie says
I was trying to find a recipe that I can have on my restricted diet due to health issues. I have had to follow the AIP diet for a couple years, and have reintroduced many things. I'm now on a low mold diet d/t mold illness. I was hesitant because I'm very picky about honey sweetened things, but I really enjoy this cake! I made my own 1:1 gluten free flour that was compliant with my diet, and have subbed both gelatin and ground flax for the egg (the gelatin came out spongy like a cake and the flax was more crumbly). I've tried the recipe as is. Then I added orange zest to the batter and frosting and topped with sliced strawberries (mmm). I just made another with lemon zest because I had a ton of lemons on hand. I would also like to try adding some Hu chocolate hunks, and topping with a homemade marshmallow fluff (since this cake reminds me of graham cracker flavor.
Tracey says
Made this cake and I am so thrilled to have a delicious, moist cake that is gluten/dairy/sugar free!!! Thanks so so much for this recipe. Also very easy to make. This will be a go-to recipe for me🎊🎉🎂😋
Sarah Holt says
Hi Tracey, so so happy you enjoyed it!!
Aramide says
Hi Sarah.
I made this recipe and it was quite nice. Thank you.
I tweaked it a bit, using only 1 egg, a little less oil and honey, then making up for that with a mixture of yoghurt, dairy milk and coconut milk (1/2 cup).
It was a little crumbly and not sweet enough to my taste, so I will stick to 2 eggs for my next attempt and a little more honey. Although my health nut housemates actually preferred the less sweet taste 😅.
P.S. how do I upload a pic of the end product?
Sarah Holt says
Hi Aramide,
I'm glad you enjoyed it and were able to make some tweaks to suit your tastebuds. You can upload a photo to Pinterest as a review 🙂
Thanks,
Sarah
Gerald says
Looks great especially for those of us who are GF and want to enjoy something sweet for the upcoming holiday. Thank you!!!!
Would Avocado oil be an okay sub for the olive oil?
Sarah Holt says
Hi Gerald, I haven't tried it with avocado oil but I think it would be a good substitute as it is a mild-flavored oil.