Banana Pudding Cake (Printable)
Moist banana cake layered with vanilla pudding, fresh banana slices and whipped cream, finished with crushed wafers.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 - ½ cup buttermilk
→ Banana Pudding Layer
11 - 1 (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
12 - 2 cups cold milk
13 - 2 ripe bananas, sliced
→ Topping
14 - 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
15 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - 8-10 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
04 - Mix in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract until evenly combined.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
07 - In a bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes until thickened.
08 - Spread half of the pudding evenly over the cooled cake. Arrange the sliced bananas in a single layer on top, then spread the remaining pudding over the bananas.
09 - Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes to allow the pudding layer to set firmly.
10 - In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
11 - Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the pudding layer. Sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafer cookies just before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cake stays unbelievably moist for days thanks to the mashed bananas and buttermilk working together.
- That creamy pudding layer seeps slightly into the cake, making every bite feel like a layered dessert rather than a single slab.
- Crushed vanilla wafers on top give you that nostalgic banana pudding crunch without needing to build individual parfaits.
02 -
- Do not skip chilling the cake before adding the pudding layer. Warm cake will melt the pudding into a soupy puddle instead of creating a distinct creamy layer.
- Wait to add the crushed wafers until the very last moment. I once sprinkled them on hours ahead and they turned soft and sad, losing the crunch that makes the topping special.
03 -
- Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters for ten minutes before whipping the cream. Cold equipment makes the cream whip faster and hold its shape longer without risking overbeating.
- The riper and more unattractive your bananas look on the outside, the sweeter and more flavorful they will be inside. Never throw away a brown banana when this cake exists.