Banana Pudding Cake (Printer-friendly)
Moist banana cake layers filled with creamy vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, and crushed vanilla wafers, topped with whipped cream.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1¼ cups granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 3 ripe bananas, mashed
10 - ¾ cup buttermilk
→ Banana Pudding Filling
11 - 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
12 - 1½ cups cold whole milk
13 - 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
14 - 2 ripe bananas, sliced
15 - 20 vanilla wafer cookies, roughly crushed
→ Whipped Cream Topping
16 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
17 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
18 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.
04 - Blend the mashed bananas into the creamed mixture. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined to avoid overworking the batter.
05 - Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean.
06 - Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - Whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with cold whole milk until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Gently fold in the whipped heavy cream until no streaks remain.
08 - Place one cooled cake layer on a serving platter. Spread half of the pudding filling evenly over the top. Arrange the sliced bananas and sprinkle a layer of crushed vanilla wafers on top.
09 - Carefully place the second cake layer on top. Spread the remaining pudding filling over it and add additional banana slices and crushed vanilla wafers.
10 - Beat the heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the top and sides of the assembled cake.
11 - Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set. Garnish with extra banana slices and wafer crumbs before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The banana pudding filling tucked between moist cake layers is a guaranteed conversation stopper at any potluck or family dinner.
- It looks impressively fancy but the steps are surprisingly forgiving, even if your cake layers come out slightly uneven.
02 -
- Warm cake layers will melt the pudding filling into a sad puddle, so patience during cooling is nonnegotiable.
- Tossing the sliced bananas in a splash of lemon juice right before assembly prevents those unappealing brown edges from appearing before your guests even arrive.
03 -
- Overripe frozen bananas work beautifully here, just thaw and drain any excess liquid before mashing them into the batter.
- A light hand when mixing the batter keeps the cake tender, so stop stirring the moment the last streak of flour disappears.