Lemony Dream Omaha Cake Recipe

There's no shortage of unique cakes found all around the world, and one such cake that hits a little closer to home for many is the nostalgic Omaha cake. Recipe developer Kara Barrett has come up this lemony dream Omaha cake recipe, which she describes as a "pie meets cake hybrid." The Omaha cake is having a moment on the internet lately, with many people finding comfort in the old-fashioned simplicity of the recipe: It's basically a quick-bread-style cake with a can of pie filling in the middle. "The batter is incredibly thick, but it bakes up pretty perfectly," Barrett says and notes that the cake looks just like photos that retro recipe lovers have posted online.

While many versions of Omaha cake use canned cherry or blueberry pie filling, Barrett opts for lemon, adding a citrusy flair to the dense cake that really does add a dreamy element. She tells us her nostalgia-inducing lemon Omaha cake is "Exactly like what you might expect to be served at someone's grandmother's house, but in the best way." As far as the texture of the cake, Barrett says, "It really reminds me of those iced fried pies you can buy at a bodega or convenience store." This simple no-fuss cake is cozy and homey, with no frills but a whole lot of wholesome flavor.

You'll mostly need pantry staples to bring this lemony dream Omaha cake to life. Such staples include granulated sugar, flour, olive oil, salt, baking powder, a can of lemon pie filling, and optional turbinado sugar. You'll also need eggs, a couple of lemons, and powdered sugar.

Place granulated sugar in a medium bowl; zest both lemons into it.

Massage the lemon zest in the sugar with your hands till thoroughly combined.

To make the icing, juice the lemons into the powdered sugar (remove any seeds, but otherwise no need to strain; some pulp is fine).

Whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until you have a pourable consistency.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, eggs, olive oil, salt, and baking powder until thoroughly combined. Add more olive oil if needed to create a thick batter.

Add half of the batter to a greased 9x13-inch pan in an even layer.

Add the lemon pie filling.

Smooth it over the top in an even layer.

Use a spatula to cover the cake with the remaining batter.

Smooth the batter as much as possible in an even layer over the top.

If desired, sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes.

While the cake is warm, pour over the icing and smooth it with a spatula.

Cool for 30 minutes before cutting into the cake.

While Barrett opts to transform her Omaha cake into a lemony dream, you're certainly not limited to the citrusy flavor profile with this highly versatile recipe. "You can easily make this with any pie filling," she says. "Some options I'm curious to try would be a strawberry version and chocolate pie filling version." If you were to go a chocolate route, a filling like the pudding-based one from this chocolate lover's pudding pie would be a great option, so you could skip all of the lemon elements and just layer the chocolate filling in when you would the lemon filling. Barrett also notes that there's plenty of opportunity to experiment with seasonal flavors, though she does add, "The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity so I wouldn't overthink it" — just go with what sounds good.

Another simple swap would be to use a different kind of oil. Barrett used olive oil here, which she credits for keeping the cake moist and elevating it into a more sophisticated olive oil cake, but any neutral oil (like vegetable, for example) would work. Finally, she highlights the super tart, lemony flavor of the icing, but if you think that the lemon in the icing might be overkill, you could simply omit it and mix water with powdered sugar instead for an all-sweet, non-tart option.

Barrett highlights the fact that "this cake is perfect for a cozy day or quick treat." Since the recipe yields eight portions it is ideal for sharing with a crowd, perhaps at a potluck or informal gathering. "It should be a fun treat for family and friends when the mood strikes and you can put it together from start to finish in under an hour," Barrett says. Also, given the pantry staple nature of the cake, you can easily whip this up on a whim after a weeknight dinner, with no special ingredients or tools needed.

There's also something about the simple elegance of this cake that makes it feel very well-suited for a tea party, and as such, you might be inclined to serve it with your favorite type of tea. Something like classic black tea or mild green tea would suit the lemony nature of the cake nicely, complementing the flavors without overpowering them or clashing with the sweetness. To stay on theme, you could serve cooling cucumber salad sandwiches as a finger food appetizer, then bring out this sweet, lemony Omaha cake as the final course — and, let's be real, the true star of the party.