Graham Cracker Cake

Graham cracker cake is a simple dessert that is easy to make and appeals to kids and adults alike. Find out how to make this vintage cake recipe.

Do you love graham crackers? I honestly don’t like eating them because I think they are dry, but the flavor? I love.

When I came across this graham cracker cake in an old cookbook that sits on my shelf, I knew I’d love. All of the graham cracker flavor plus the moist texture of cake and frosting on top? Sign me up.

How to Make Graham Cracker Cake

• Prepare. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13” baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper if you’d like it to come out cleanly.
• Whisk. Combine the crumbs, ½ cup pecans, flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Make the cake batter. In a large bowl, cream the butter and the light brown sugar until fluffy. Slowly beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Alternately add the milk and the crumb mixture while beating on low.
• Beat the eggs. Beat the egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Add the sugar slowly, and beat to soft peaks. Fold into the crumb batter, and pour into the pan.
• Bake. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Frosting Options

Although the cinnamon buttercream pairs so well with this cake, there are other options, too:

• Chocolate mocha frosting
• Mascarpone cream frosting
• Raspberry frosting
• 7 minute frosting. This takes like a marshmallow!

Storage Instructions

Store this cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 6 weeks.

Graham Cracker Cake Recipe

4.60 from 50 votes

Graham cracker cake is a simple dessert that is easy to make and appeals to kids and adults alike. Find out how to make this vintage cake recipe.

Servings 15

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

For the cake:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 175 grahams
• ¾ cup ground pecans*
• ½ cup all-purpose flour 65 grams
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 7 grams
• ¼ teaspoon salt 2 grams
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened, 8 ounces
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar 220 grams
• 3 large egg yolks room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8 grams
• 1 cup 2% milk lukewarm, 8 ounces
• 3 large egg whites room temperature
• ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup salted butter at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 6 grams
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 cups powdered sugar 260 grams
• 1-3 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

 

Make the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13” baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper if you'd like it to come out cleanly.
• Combine the crumbs, ½ cup pecans, flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and the light brown sugar until fluffy. Slowly beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Alternately add the milk and the crumb mixture while beating on low.
• Beat the egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Add the sugar slowly, and beat to soft peaks. Fold into the crumb batter, and pour into the pan.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Make the frosting:

• Whip the butter alone in a stand mixer on medium for 2 minutes or until fluffy, almost white in appearance and lighter in texture.
• Add the vanilla and cinnamon. Add the powdered sugar slowly, mixing between each addition.
• Alternate the last bit of powdered sugar and the heavy cream, and whip the frosting on high for at least 2 minutes. If the buttercream is too thick after 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, add a third tablespoon.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. This makes just a thin layer of frosting. Double the frosting if you’d like a thick layer.

Notes

*1 cup whole pecans, crushed

Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 frosted slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 651IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 420

Keyword 9×13 cake, easy cake recipe, vintage

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