Graham Cracker Cake

I've been going through my old clippings of recipes, searching for them on Food.com, and adding them to my recipe box online to eliminate paper. Here's one not posted here that was printed in the Chicago Tribune 9/13/00. It's an old-fashioned cake with a dense, tender crumb and a distinct graham cracker flavor. You can serve it plain or with a whipped cream or cream cheese frosting.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 1 slice

Ingredients

• 1 3⁄4 cups  crushed graham crackers (about 12 full size)
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 1  cup sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup milk
• 3⁄4 cup  chopping pecans

• Frosting

• 2 1⁄2 cups  chilled  whipping cream
• 1⁄3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1⁄4 cup graham cracker, crushed (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder in small bowl; set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer and light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk until combined. Stir in nuts.
3. Pour into two greased and floured 8-inch cake pans; bake 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; cool on wire rack.
4. For frosting, beat cream in bowl of electric mixer until it starts to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form.
5. Place one layer os cake on platter. Spread some of the whipped cream over top. Top the other cake layer. Spread remaining whipped cream on sides and top. If desired, pat additional graham cracker crumbs around sides of cake.