Graham Cracker Cake with Cake Batter Buttercream

Happy Tuesday! I’m so grateful to have had such a fun weekend celebrating a friend’s birthday and making him a cake! 

This cake was inspired by his favorite ice cream, cake batter with graham cracker and raspberry swirls. It gave me the perfect idea for the ultimate birthday cake!

The Ultimate Birthday Cake 

Graham cracker cake 

Graham cracker cake layers AND a graham crust? I’m telling you now, this cake is going to blow you away! I used my favorite brand of graham cracker crumbs by Keebler. If you can’t find them at the store, you can always make your own graham cracker crumbs by crushing them in a blender until they are like fine sand. 

Raspberry filling

For this cake I decided to add a thin layer of raspberry compote to help give it the tartness the cake needs to balance the sweetness of the graham crackers and cake batter. Here is what you need to make the raspberry compote.

• fresh or frozen raspberries
• granulated sugar 
• water (divided)
• cornstarch

Cake batter buttercream

This is the part of this recipe that really takes the cake (pun definitely intended). While I was making this, I couldn’t stop eating this buttercream. I actually ended up not having enough to decorate my cake and had to make more! I just wanted to eat it all day long! You’re going to love it!

How to make cake batter buttercream

Since the cake mix has flour in it and it won’t get cooked in the buttercream, it is best to cook it before making this buttercream. I cooked mine at 250 for 15 minutes. But before you put it in the buttercream, make sure it has completely cooled so you don’t melt the butter in the buttercream.

Tips for the buttercream

• Cook the dry cake mix for 15 minutes at 250 degrees.
• Sift the powdered sugar and the cooked cake mix together. 
• Use cold butter. I let mine sit out for about 30 minutes. 
• Use heavy whipping cream to help smooth the buttercream. 
• Scrape the bowl and beat on high for 5 minutes. 
• Beat with a wooden spoon after mixing to beat out all of the air pockets.

Tips for making the most perfect cake layers. 

• Use fresh ingredients, including fresh baking powder. 
• Use high quality cake pans. I have tried many cake pans over the years, and my favorite pans are fat daddios that you can find here:
• Cream your butter and sugar. Don’t just mix, cream them on high for about 5 minutes. This helps incorporate air and makes your cake rise.
• Use room temperature ingredients, unless specified otherwise. 
• Don’t over mix your dry ingredients. Low and slow baby! 
• Let your oven pre heat for 15-20 minutes to ensure it’s hot and ready.

Recipe

Graham Cracker Cake With Cake Batter Buttercream

Molly Murphy

Inspired by my friend’s favorite cold stone ice cream flavor. It has graham cracker cake layers on a graham cracker crust filled with a sweet raspberry filling, covered in a birthday cake batter buttercream.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

15 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings 16

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Graham cracker crust

• 2 cups finely ground graham crackers about 18 full rectangular crackers, pulverized (I used Keebler’s graham cracker crumbs)
• ½ cup unsalted butter melted
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

For the graham cracker cake layer

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely ground graham crackers about 8 full rectangular crackers
• 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
• 4 large or extra large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups buttermilk at room temperature

For the raspberry filling

• 4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water added to raspberry mixture
• ¼ cup water used to make the cornstarch slurry
• ¼ cup cornstarch

For the cake batter buttercream

• 2 cups unsalted butter slightly cold
• 5 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 2 cups dry Yellow Cake Mix cooked at 250 degrees for 15 minutes this bakes the flour so its edible. Sift with the powdered sugar
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch

Instructions

 

FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. Spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium-sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. With a rubber spatula, stir until all the graham cracker crumbs are combined with the melted butter. You should be able to squeeze the mixture and have it stick together.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the three pans and press down firmly with your hand or the back of a spoon (about ¾ cup in each pan).
• Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool while you make the cake layers.

For the Graham Cracker Cake

• Keep your oven at 325.
• If you need to pulverize your graham crackers, do it now. They should resemble sand.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until the ingredients are well-blended. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
• With the mixer on the lowest speed, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Slowly add half of the buttermilk, followed by another ⅓ of the dry ingredients, the second half of the buttermilk and the final ⅓ of dry ingredients. Mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and slowly mix for another 20-30 seconds.
• Divide the batter evenly among your pans (about 20 ounces in each for 8 inch pans) right on top of the baked graham cracker crust and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs on it. Cool 15 minutes on a wire rack before transferring the cake layers out of the cake pan and onto cooling racks to cool completely.

For the Raspberry Filling

• Place the berries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and ¼ cup of water in a saucepan and heat over medium high heat.
• With a rubber spatula, stir the mixture until it begins to boil.
• Lower the heat to medium-low and allow the filling to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• In a separate small bowl, make a slurry by combining the remaining ¼ cup of water with the corn starch. Stir until the cornstarch has fully dissolved into the water.
• Add this corn starch mixture into the berry mixture.
• Turn the heat to medium high. Be sure to stir constantly during this stage to prevent the filling from burning.
• Cook until the mixture begins to boil then reduce the heat to medium low.
• Continue to stir and cook for a few additional minutes to cook out the corn starch flavor.
• Turn off heat and pour the berry filling into a separate bowl to cool down. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight.

For the cake batter buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high until it’s light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Sift the cooked and cooled dry cake mix and the powdered sugar together. Set aside.
• After the cake mix and the powdered sugar is sifted, add it to the beaten butter, and beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and add the cream and vanilla and mix again.
• With a rubber spatula beat out the air bubbles by hand.

Assembly

• Place the first cake layer on a cake board, with the graham cracker layer on the bottom. Gently and evenly spread half of the cake batter buttercream onto the cake layer, followed by a some raspberry compote.
• Repeat with the second layer of cake.
• Place your final cake layer, with the graham cracker layer on the bottom, on top of the second layer of filling.
• Apply a thin layer of the cake batter buttercream around the entire cake and freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Once the crumb coat is set, finish frosting and decorating the cake with the remaining cake batter buttercream. Garnish with raspberries.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!