Graham Cracker Cake (Mimica Cake)

This family heirloom recipe was invented during WWII using war rations. Three women were living in an apartment in Berlin that had no stove or oven, but still wanted to enjoy a cake together.

The graham crackers are basted with a mixture of milk and rum (or whatever you have around), and a layer of frosting is applied between each layer of cracker. Build it as high as you like, and you can also cross-hatch the crackers to make the cake square instead of rectangular.

As the cake sits, the graham crackers soften and become cake-like. It’s a rich and delicious treat, and an exciting piece of history and culinary ingenuity. To quote Tihamer Toth-Fejel, this cake is “perfect for refugee camps, college dorms, and church potlucks.”

Read more about the life of Visnja Toth-Fejel.

Watch Theresa Make it!

Graham Cracker Cake (Mimica Cake)

This WWII family heirloom recipe was invented using only war rations, in an apartment with no oven or stove. It's constructed by basting graham crackers with milk and rum, and stacking them high between layers of frosting.
Feel free to get inventive with the frosting components. It is in the true spirit of the cake to use what you have around.
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

For Cake Layers:

  • 1 1/2 packages Graham Crackers (see note)
  • 2 T milk
  • 2 T rum

For frosting (makes enough for layers and outside of cake):

  • 1/4 cup softened butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 T cocoa powder (see note)
  • Flake salt (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Mix together milk and rum in small bowl.
  • In large bowl, or mixer with paddle attachment, mix together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder.
  • Open package of graham crackers. Using pastry brush or spoon, baste a cracker with milk/rum.
  • Apply thin layer of frosting to basted cracker. Baste another cracker, frost, and stack on top of first cracker. Repeat until finished.
  • Put cake in refrigerator, and let chill for at least an hour. Use remaining frosting on outside of cake, or choose to leave sides bare.
  • Top with flake salt if desired, or anything else that sounds delicious to you. Finished cake should be thoroughly chilled before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes

  • My creation of this recipe involved using 1 1/2 packages of graham crackers. I got a bit turned around while making it, and ended up just stacking them on top of each other, making a rectangle. After speaking with members of the Toth-Fejel family, the cake is often made by cross-hatching the crackers to make a square instead. Choose whichever one pleases you – they both are great.
  • This frosting recipe makes enough to frost the inside and outside of the cake. I didn’t frost the outside of the cake, but that is often done as well.
  • I used King Arthur’s Black Cocoa Powder, which is a lovely product I’ve just started using. It’s how I got such a rich, dark color for this cake. Feel free to use any cocoa powder you have around for this recipe, or try different flavorings. This cake would be lovely topped with nuts, or with a whipped cream cheese frosting (recommended by Tihamer Toth-Fejel.)