First things first: Yet another of my grandmother’s recipes and another one that I’d never heard of before—although you’d think it would be more common out in the world. Graham crackers are awesome, cake is awesome, so put them together and you get a double dose of awesome.
A caveat before we get started: So, part of my process for this cookbook is that when making a cake that doesn’t automatically have a type of frosting associated with it, I will pick a frosting in the recipe box that I think will work with the cake and that I haven’t made yet. I decided to make a recipe for whipped chocolate frosting. I remember looking at the recipe and thinking to myself, “no way in hell this works, but who am I to judge?” Clearly, this recipe had been used before, considering its condition in the box, so I gave it a shot. Nope. No fucking way. I could have whipped the base for that frosting until Donald Trump grew a conscience and it still wouldn’t have whipped up properly. So, I had melted chocolate and butter ready to go and nothing to put it in and had to improvise. Therefore, there is no frosting recipe included here. You’re on your own. Note to self: I should feel free to judge.
Here’s what you’ll need:
2 ¼ Cups + 1 Tbsp. Graham Cracker Crumbs
⅔ Cup Flour
2 ⅔ tsp. Baking Powder
½ tsp. Salt
⅔ Cup Shortening
1 ⅓ Cups Sugar
1 ⅓ tsp. Vanilla
4 Eggs, separated
1 Cup Milk
⅔ Cup Nuts, chopped
Cream together shortening and sugar, pouring sugar in a steady stream. Add vanilla, egg yolks, milk and beat until fluffy.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet ingredients along with cracker crumbs and nuts.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into cake batter.
Pour batter into two greased 9” round cake pans. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30-35 50 minutes because we live in the real world.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then turn them onto the cooling rack to cool completely before frosting them.
I had Mrs. Butcher frost the cake because this was always my weakest skill when I did this shit for a living.
Serve at room temperature with a tall glass of milk.
This cake is…pretty good. I think, if I make it again, I’ll do it without the nuts. I was dubious about the nuts anyway but I needed to do this according to the recipe. Nuts don’t belong in cakes. Full stop.
Hmm… I’m not a big cake person but I do love graham crackers and I think I might really enjoy this. Would cream cheese frosting be weird? It’s my favorite type of frosting and it feels like it would fit.
That might work. Give it a go and let me know how it turns out.
I’ve had dessert dips made with cream cheese as a base that were smeared on graham crackers or nilla wafers and it worked. I think this would work really well.
Way too much work for me, but I like the idea of making a frosted cake out of graham crackers, just based on how much it would upset Graham…
To be fair, today’s graham crackers would already upset graham. By all accounts the original ones were unsweetened dry blandness.
Right? But try to add even more sugar to it.
I have never heard of a Graham Cracker Cake but I’m intrigued. No nuts though, I agree they don’t belong in cake. I think a caramel frosting would be good with this.
That piped frosting is a thing of beauty. Mmmmmm.
Mrs. Butcher did that. Cake decorating was always my Achilles Heel.
Unless it’s a pistachio cake. They’re usually crushed, so they don’t interfere texturally.
ETA: this sounds and looks yummy. I bet it would also accommodate a peanut butter-based modification.
Oh, hell yes, I think you’re on to something there.
Very pretty cake!
FOLD IT IN!
Every single time I either fold something in, or write about folding something in, I now think of you. So, thank you for ruining my life.
I have a completely different recipe that involves actual graham crackers and no baking. I’ll fill you in someday when I’m not trying to type it on my phone.