Home » Dessert Recipes » Old-Fashioned Graham Cracker Cake (+Video)

Old-Fashioned Graham Cracker Cake (+Video)

Graham Cracker Cake is a recipe that has been a family-favorite for generations. An amazingly moist homemade cake with a delicious creamy frosting.

A UNIQUE AND DELICIOUS HOMEMADE CAKE

When I first made this cake (found on the back of a Kroger-brand graham cracker box), I couldn’t believe how amazing it tasted. It’s such a simple recipe but the flavors are incredible! I had no idea you could make a cake out of graham crackers and it still be moist and tender. But you sure can, thanks to all those egg yolks in there. This cake was a huge hit in my house. It tastes like no other cake I make and I think it would be a super fun cake to make for your next potluck!

slice of graham cracker cake on a white plate with a bottle milk in the background.

TIPS FOR MAKING GRAHAM CRACKER CAKE

  • You can switch out the walnuts for pecans or you can leave them out altogether.
  • Definitely get the cinnamon graham crackers for this recipe. It makes a big difference in flavor.
  • Store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.
slice of graham cracker cake on a small round white plate with scattered graham crackers around the plate.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • cinnamon graham crackers
  • baking powder
  • all-purpose flour
  • sugar
  • salted butter
  • egg yolks
  • vanilla extract
  • ground cinnamon
  • milk
  • chopped walnuts
Graham Cracker Cake

HOW TO MAKE GRAHAM CRACKER CAKE:

Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. For a little clarification on the number of crackers. You are going to be using two sleeves of cinnamon graham crackers. It will be 32 of these little squares which comes to about 2 3/4 cups of crushed graham crackers.

Graham Cracker Cake

Place graham cracker squares into a large plastic bag, and using a rolling pin (or in this case, I used a flat and heavy meat tenderizer), crush crackers into crumbs.

Graham Cracker Cake

Mix graham crackers with flour and baking powder. Set aside.

Graham Cracker Cake

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Graham Cracker Cake

Add egg yolks, vanilla and cinnamon.

Graham Cracker Cake

 Stir until smooth.

Graham Cracker Cake

Add about 1/3 of graham cracker mixture.

Graham Cracker Cake

Then add about 1/3 of the milk. Keep alternating graham cracker mixture and milk until it is all incorporated.

Graham Cracker Cake

Then stir in walnuts. Spread into baking dish. Batter will be thick.

Graham Cracker Cake

Bake for about 20-25 minutes (until toothpick inserted comes out clean.) It took a little longer than this in my oven, about 28 minutes.

Graham Cracker Cake

Allow cake to cool completely. Then begin making frosting. Cream together the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Graham Cracker Cake

 Add powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Graham Cracker Cake

 Spread evenly over cooled cake.

Graham Cracker Cake

If you wanted to skip the icing altogether, you could just dust a bit of powdered sugar on the cake but the icing really tops this cake off nicely!

Graham Cracker Cake

Then sprinkle some crushed graham crackers on top of the icing (optional.)

Graham Cracker Cake

Slice and serve! If not serving right away, this cake needs to be kept refrigerated (because of the frosting.)

a slice of graham cracker cake with a bite removed.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!

Old-Fashioned Graham Cracker Cake

Old-Fashioned Graham Cracker Cake

Graham Cracker Cake is a recipe that has been a family-favorite for generations. An amazingly moist homemade cake with a delicious creamy frosting.
4.95 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 32 squares cinnamon graham crackers, crushed (about 2 3/4 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter softened to room temperature
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • Icing:

For the frosting:

  • cup cream cheese (3 ounces), softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup (1/2 stick) salted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • 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.
  • Then add about 1/3 of the milk.
  • Keep alternating graham cracker mixture and milk until it is all incorporated.
  • Then stir in walnuts.
  • Spread batter into baking dish. It will 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 until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled cake.
  • Then sprinkle some crushed graham crackers on top of the icing (optional). Slice and serve.

Notes

  • You can switch out the walnuts for pecans or you can leave them out altogether.
  • Definitely get the cinnamon graham crackers for this recipe. It makes a big difference in flavor.
  • Store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 382mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 46g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Originally posted: November 2013
Updated and reposted: July 2022

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49 Comments

  1. I have a family member that really loves cheesecake but they like cake too. I was thinking about making this cake and doing two spring pans and do it in no bake cheesecake as the filling and stacking them. Do you think that would work?

  2. 5 stars
    I made this last night in Wilton’s Daily Delights mini round cake pans similar to a mini muffin pan) and it turned out delicious and came out fine. I did about 1/2 of a small cookie scoop of batter, baked for 10 minutes, let cook for 5 minutes in the pan and then used an offset spatula to get them out. Only a few didn’t come out clean, and I got at least 72, maybe more out of the batch. I’m covering the tops with chocolate candy melt and a monster eye marshmallow for a Halloween inspired Smore type treat.

    1. Reply to mention that I did not use any nuts in the recipe so, I’m not sure if that helped hold them together better in the smaller format.

  3. thank you, I will try again. I really want to make cupcakes, is there something I could do differently or should I look for a graham cracker cupcake recipe.

  4. I tried this recipe. put in sprayed cupcake tin, it was a disaster. I couldn’t get cupcakes out of tin and they all fell apart. I don’t know what went wrong. I rechecked ingredients all were correct. Please respond

      1. thank you, I will try again. I really want to make cupcakes, is there something I could do differently or should I look for a graham cracker cupcake recipe.

  5. 5 stars
    I haven’t had this in years. My mom used to make this for our birthday cakes, and we couldn’t wait for our birthday to eat it! However, Mom always made fresh whipped cream (with heavy cream and powdered sugar) for the frosting instead of the sweeter butter cream. It was the best! Thanks for reminding me about those birthday cakes! I think I will make one now (with whipped cream, of course).

  6. 5 stars
    This is so delicious and wonderful and pictures are also beautiful. Well decorated and I’m gonna make this now.