Save This cake layers a moist vanilla-banana batter with a quick vanilla pudding finish. Bake a tender banana-scented cake, cool, then spread thickened instant vanilla pudding and add sliced ripe bananas. Chill to set, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to soft peaks, then spread and sprinkle crushed wafers. Serve chilled for bright, nostalgic flavor.
The smell of overripe bananas on my counter was so overwhelming one July afternoon that I almost threw them out, but something stubborn in me decided to mash them into a cake instead. That impulsive decision produced something so ridiculously good that my neighbor, who happened to drop by with a plate of cookies, ended up eating three slices standing at my kitchen island. Banana pudding cake is what happens when two Southern comfort desserts collide in the best possible way.
I brought this to a potluck at my friends house last fall and watched a man I had never met before stand over the pan with a fork, refusing to move until he finished his second helping. His wife mouthed sorry to me from across the room, and we both started laughing.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour: Two cups gives the cake a tender crumb without making it dense, and sifting it beforehand makes a noticeable difference.
- Baking powder and baking soda: This combination with the acidic buttermilk creates a beautiful rise.
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter creams better with sugar, so pull it out an hour ahead.
- Granulated sugar: One cup is enough since the bananas add natural sweetness.
- Eggs: Three large eggs bind everything together and add richness.
- Ripe bananas: The darker and spottier the peel, the sweeter and more intense the banana flavor will be.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure extract if you can because the artificial kind flattens the flavor.
- Buttermilk: Half a cup keeps the cake soft and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix: One box whisked with cold milk creates the creamy layer that makes this cake special.
- Cold milk: Two cups for the pudding, and make sure it is cold straight from the fridge.
- Sliced bananas: Two ripe but firm bananas for the filling layer so they hold their shape.
- Heavy whipping cream: One and a half cups whipped fresh tastes far better than anything from a tub.
- Powdered sugar: Just two tablespoons to sweeten the whipped cream lightly.
- Vanilla wafer cookies: Eight to ten crushed cookies on top add the signature crunch and nostalgia.
Instructions
- Prepare your pan and oven:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 by 13 inch pan with butter, then dust it lightly with flour, tapping out the excess.
- Whisk the dry ingredients:
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a whisk until evenly distributed.
- Cream butter and sugar:
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture turns pale yellow and looks fluffy, about three minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time:
- Drop in each egg and beat well before adding the next so everything stays smooth and emulsified.
- Mix in the bananas and vanilla:
- Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract until the batter looks fragrant and streaked with banana.
- Combine wet and dry:
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in alternating batches, starting and ending with the flour, and stir just until the last streak of white disappears.
- Bake the cake:
- Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely:
- Let the cake cool right in the pan on a wire rack because spreading pudding on warm cake will turn it into a soggy mess.
- Make the pudding layer:
- Whisk the pudding mix with cold milk for about two minutes until it thickens to a soft custard consistency.
- Layer the pudding and bananas:
- Spread half the pudding over the cooled cake, arrange sliced bananas evenly on top, then cover with the remaining pudding.
- Chill to set:
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes so the pudding layer firms up and holds together when you slice it.
- Whip the cream topping:
- Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then spread it gently over the chilled pudding.
- Finish with crushed cookies:
- Scatter the crushed vanilla wafers over the whipped cream right before serving so they stay crunchy.
Save My mother in law asked me for this recipe after one bite, and she is someone who never asks for recipes, which I took as the highest compliment.
Storing Leftovers
Cover the pan tightly with foil and keep it in the refrigerator for up to four days. The bananas in the filling will brown slightly by day three but the flavor actually improves.
Serving Suggestions
This cake is best served chilled on a hot day with a tall glass of sweet tea. I have also been known to eat the leftovers cold from the pan with a fork at midnight, and I regret nothing.
Simple Variations
You can swap the vanilla wafers for crushed graham crackers or shortbread cookies for a different texture. Adding half a teaspoon of banana extract to the batter intensifies the flavor if you want a bolder banana presence.
- Layer extra banana slices between the pudding for a fruitier bite.
- Try a layer of caramel drizzle under the bananas for a decadent twist.
- Serve chilled for the best texture and flavor every single time.
Save Every time I make this cake, someone asks me where I bought it, and I get to smile and say it came from my kitchen and a bunch of bananas that almost ended up in the trash.
