Graham Cracker Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
If you love making cakes that are simple to prepare but yet taste awesome, you will love this recipe It was given to me by a neighbor who told me her great grandmother used to make it for all their family reunions and picnics Who knew a cake made out of graham cracker crumbs would turn out to be so incredibly moist & delicious
If you love making cakes that are simple to prepare but yet taste awesome, you will love this recipe It was given to me by a neighbor who told me her great grandmother used to make it for all their family reunions and picnics Who knew a cake made out of graham cracker crumbs would turn out to be so incredibly moist & delicious
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- icing:
- 5 egg yolks
- 2 3/4 cups cinnamon graham crackers crushed (32 squares)
- 1/2 cup butter softened (1 stick)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts if desired (i sometimes use raisins instead)
- 1/3 cup cream cheese softened (3 oz.)
- 1/4 cup butter softened (1/2 stick)
- Carbohydrate 40.4269910513176 g
- Cholesterol 191.317187568168 mg
- Fat 34.0700355461028 g
- Fiber 2.12352191612151 g
- Protein 9.34728343774344 g
- Saturated Fat 15.1353063699215 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (167g)
- Sodium 7438.01458271143 mg
- Sugar 38.3034691351961 g
- Trans Fat 2.81114716868573 g
- Calories 494 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 325F. Spray 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, or lightly grease with vegetable oil.
- Place graham cracker squares into a large plastic bag, and using a rolling pin, crush crackers into crumbs. Mix graham crackers with flour and baking powder, set aside.
- Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir until smooth.
- Add in about 1/3 of graham cracker mixture.
- Add about 1/3 of the milk.
- Continue alternating graham cracker mixture and milk until all is incorporated.
- Stir in walnuts (or raisins, if desired).
- Spread batter into baking dish; It should be thick.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes (until toothpick inserted comes out clean).
- Allow cake to cool COMPLETELY, then begin making frosting.
- Cream together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and mix til smooth. Spread evenly over cooled cake, then sprinkle some crushed graham crackers on top of the icing (optional).
- Slice and serve. If you don't plan on serving it right away refrigerate it, the icing on this cake is delicate!
Swapping the walnuts for an equal volume of dried currants completely shifts the profile of this bake from earthy and robust to sharply tart, though the structural integrity of the crumb remains unaffected. Crushing the cinnamon graham crackers manually inside a heavy-duty plastic bag yields a heterogeneous mix of fine dust and small particulate shards, which ensures the batter retains pockets of air rather than turning into dense paste. Creaming the butter and granulated sugar until pale and voluminous incorporates vital mechanical leavening, compensating for the lack of traditional flour by trapping air pockets around the sugar crystals.
Alternating the dry graham mixture with the milk prevents the batter from breaking during the liquid addition stage. Pour the milk in three distinct phases, mixing gently after each incorporation to maintain emulsion stability throughout the heavy egg-yolk base. Spread the thick batter evenly into a greased nine-by-thirteen-inch baking dish using an offset spatula, smoothing the surface so the edges do not overbake before the center sets. Monitor the oven closely around the twenty-minute mark, testing for doneness when a wooden skewer inserted into the center emerges without wet crumbs adhering to the wood.
Thermal shock will melt the delicate dairy topping instantly, making absolute cooling mandatory before frosting commences. Ensure the baked layer sits at room temperature for at least forty-five minutes on a wire rack to dissipate residual internal heat entirely. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until completely smooth prior to adding the powdered sugar, preventing residual lumps from forming in the spreadable matrix. Reserve a small handful of extra crushed cracker crumbs to scatter across the top immediately after icing, providing a crisp textural contrast to the soft dairy layer beneath.
Refrigerating the finished dessert for two hours before slicing helps firm the delicate fat structure, yielding clean, sharp portions without dragging the knife through sticky icing. Stored properly in an airtight container at or below forty degrees Fahrenheit, the confection maintains optimal texture for up to three days. Freezing is not recommended due to the high dairy and moisture content of the cream cheese topping, which will separate and weep upon thawing.
