Murder mixed in w/ Graham Cracker Cake & Pineapple Topping

I am intrigued with murder mysteries that include food and recipes. When I read Joanne Fluke’s Blackberry Pie Murder, I was also intrigued with her recipe for Graham Cracker Cake—a cake that relies on just graham crackers for its basic structure, no flour appears in the ingredient list. Besides, Barry loves pineapple so it sounded like something that we’d like . . . and we did.

Of course, I made a few adjustments here and there . . .

Graham Cracker Cake with Pineapple Topping

Cake

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2¼ cups graham crackers crumbs

1 cup whole milk

1 cup chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts

Pineapple Sauce

8 ¼ oz. can crushed pineapple with juice

3 tablespoons granulated sugar (original recipe called for ¼ cup)

1 teaspoon cornstarch (I added this as a thickening agent)

Cake

1. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar, adding the sugar gradually with the mixer set on MEDIUM speed. Add the vanilla and mix it in thoroughly.
   
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, incorporating the first egg before you add the second.
4. Add the baking powder and the salt, beating until they are thoroughly mixed.
   
5. Mix in half the graham cracker crumbs and half of the milk. Beat well.
6. Mix in remaining half of graham cracker crumbs and milk. Beat well.
7. Fold in the chopped nuts by hand, using a silicon spatula.
   
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a silicon spatula.
   
9. Bake cake in preheated oven from 30 to 50 minutes or until set and toothpick inserted (in center and on sides, too) comes out clean. (The original recipe calls for a 30 minute baking time but it took about 50 minutes in the oven I was using.)
   
10. Cool cake on a wire rack. Serve with Pineapple Sauce and yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream.
    

Pineapple Sauce

1. Combine pineapple and juice with sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan; mix thoroughly.
2. Cook the mixture over MEDIUM HIGH heat, stirring constantly until it boils.

Recipes without photos . . .

Graham Cracker Cake with Pineapple Topping

Cake

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt 

2¼ cups graham crackers crumbs

1 cup whole milk

1 cup chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts

Pineapple Sauce

8 ¼ oz. can crushed pineapple with juice

3 tablespoons granulated sugar (original recipe called for ¼ cup)

1 teaspoon cornstarch (I added this as a thickening agent)

Cake

1. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar, adding the sugar gradually with the mixer set on MEDIUM speed. Add the vanilla and mix it in thoroughly.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, incorporating the first egg before you add the second.
4. Add the baking powder and the salt, beating until they are thoroughly mixed.
5. Mix in half the graham cracker crumbs and half of the milk. Beat well.
6. Mix in remaining half of graham cracker crumbs and milk. Beat well.
7. Fold in the chopped nuts by hand, using a silicon spatula.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a silicon spatula.
9. Bake cake in preheated oven from 30 to 50 minutes or until set and toothpick inserted (in center and on sides, too) comes out clean. (The original recipe calls for a 30 minute baking time but it took about 50 minutes in the oven I was using.)
10. Cool cake on a wire rack. Serve with Pineapple Sauce and yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream.

Pineapple Sauce

1. Combine pineapple and juice with sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan; mix thoroughly.
2. Cook the mixture over MEDIUM HIGH heat, stirring constantly until it boils.