Banana Pudding Cake Southern Style (Printable)
Layers of moist banana cake with creamy vanilla pudding filling, fresh bananas, and crunchy vanilla wafer topping.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ½ teaspoon salt
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - ½ cup buttermilk
10 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ cups)
→ Pudding Filling
11 - 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
12 - 2 cups cold milk
13 - 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
→ Assembly and Topping
14 - 2 large bananas, sliced
15 - 1½ cups vanilla wafer cookies, roughly crushed (about 100 cookies)
16 - 1 cup heavy cream, whipped, or prepared whipped topping
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
04 - Mix in the mashed bananas. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.
05 - Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
06 - Whisk the instant pudding mix and cold milk together in a bowl for 2 minutes. Let thicken for 5 minutes, then gently fold in the whipped cream. Chill until ready to assemble.
07 - Place one cooled cake layer on a serving platter. Spread half the pudding mixture over the top. Layer with sliced bananas and a sprinkle of crushed vanilla wafers.
08 - Place the second cake layer on top and spread the remaining pudding mixture over it. Decorate with whipped cream, the remaining banana slices, and additional crushed wafers.
09 - Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the layers to set.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The pudding seeps into the cake layers overnight and creates something almost magical that no one can resist going back for seconds.
- It tastes like childhood but looks impressive enough to bring to any potluck or celebration without stress.
02 -
- Do not skip the chilling time because slicing into a warm or barely chilled cake will send pudding sliding everywhere and ruin the beautiful layers you just built.
- Tossing your sliced bananas in a tiny splash of lemon juice before assembling prevents them from turning an unappetizing brown overnight.
03 -
- Use bananas that are so ripe you would normally throw them away because that is when their flavor is deepest and their sweetness is unmatched.
- Crush the vanilla wafers in a zip top bag with a rolling pin instead of a food processor so you get a mix of fine crumbs and chunky pieces that add real texture to each bite.