Banana Pudding Cake (Printable version)
Decadent Southern treat combining moist banana cake with creamy vanilla pudding filling and crunchy wafers.
# What you need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
09 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 - ¾ cup buttermilk
→ Banana Pudding Filling
11 - 1 box (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
12 - 2 cups cold whole milk
13 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
14 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
15 - 2–3 ripe bananas, sliced
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Assembly and Topping
17 - 1 ½ cups vanilla wafer cookies, coarsely crushed
18 - Additional banana slices for garnish
19 - Whipped cream for topping (optional)
# How to make it:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, ensuring even coverage to prevent sticking.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until uniformly blended. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale, light, and fluffy—approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the mashed ripe bananas and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry mixture, mixing just until each addition is incorporated. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
06 - Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
07 - While the cakes cool, whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with cold whole milk in a bowl until thickened, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding until no streaks remain.
08 - Place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous, even layer of the banana pudding filling over the top. Arrange sliced bananas over the filling and sprinkle with a layer of crushed vanilla wafers.
09 - Position the second cake layer on top. Spread the remaining pudding filling over the top and sides if desired. Garnish with additional banana slices, crushed vanilla wafers, and optional whipped cream.
10 - Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the structure to set before slicing and serving.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The banana pudding filling seeps into the cake layers overnight and creates this impossibly moist, almost trifle like texture that guests always beg for.
- It looks fancy enough for a birthday but comes together with basic pantry ingredients and zero decorating skills required.
02 -
- Fresh banana slices will brown within hours, so a quick toss with a teaspoon of lemon juice keeps them looking bright if you are assembling the cake more than a short while before serving.
- This cake is best eaten within two days because the moisture from the bananas and pudding will eventually make the wafer layer soggy and the fruit loses its appeal.
03 -
- The ripest bananas you can find, the ones that look almost too far gone, will give you the deepest flavor in both the cake layers and the filling.
- Crush the vanilla wafers by hand inside a zip top bag rather than using a food processor because irregular crumbs give you a mix of soft and crunchy textures that is far more interesting.