Banana Pudding Cake (Printable)
Moist banana layers filled with creamy vanilla pudding and fresh bananas, topped with whipped cream and vanilla wafer crumbs.
# 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 - 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
# Directions:
01 - Preheat 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 flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
04 - Blend the mashed bananas into the wet mixture. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined — do not overmix.
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 - Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before assembling.
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 sliced bananas across the surface and scatter half of the crushed vanilla wafers over the bananas.
09 - Carefully place the second cake layer on top. Spread the remaining pudding filling over it and layer with additional banana slices and the remaining 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 cake for at least 2 hours to allow the layers to set. Garnish with additional banana slices and wafer crumbs before serving if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The banana pudding filling soaked into the cake layers overnight tastes like something you would pay good money for at a bakery.
- It looks impressive enough for a celebration but the steps are surprisingly forgiving if you are not a confident baker.
02 -
- I once rushed the cooling step and the pudding filling melted right off the warm cake layers into a puddle on the platter, so patience here truly matters.
- Tossing the sliced bananas in a squeeze of lemon juice keeps them from turning brown and unappetizing before the cake even reaches the table.
03 -
- Measure the flour by spooning it into the cup and leveling with a knife because packed flour will turn this cake dense and heavy every single time.
- The secret to the lightest pudding filling is folding the whipped cream in with a spatula using wide, gentle strokes rather than stirring vigorously.