“How To Make Banana Pudding Cake” – Banana pudding is one of my favorite desserts. There are so many ways to change up the recipe with different variations, but only one way is right way and that’s making Banana Pudding Cake!
How To Make Banana Pudding Cake From Scratch
BANANA PUDDING CAKE RECIPE
As someone who loves both banana pudding & banana cake, I couldn’t be more excited about this delicious Banana Pudding Cake recipe!
In this fun twist on a southern classic, ultra moist banana cake layers are filled with a light (instant pudding-based) vanilla cream filling, layered with thinly sliced bananas and crushed Vanilla Wafers.
Learn Forex trading from a pro
BANANA PUDDING…IN CAKE FORM
This cake does not disappoint- it tastes just like banana pudding, but with the impressive height and presentation of a layer cake! Whether you are celebrating birthdays, family gatherings, potlucks, or anytime you just need a good ol’ slice of cake, this banana pudding cake does not disappoint!
We decided that we wanted big banana flavor in our banana pudding cake, and so unlike some banana pudding cake recipes that call for a yellow cake, we decided to go with our favorite homemade banana cake recipe instead.
Our vanilla cream filling is based on a “mock mousse” recipe that we love, and it couldn’t be easier– instant vanilla pudding plus heavy cream whipped into a delightfully light and creamy filling.
Don’t Miss a Thing!
Get updates on the latest posts and more from My Cake School straight to your inbox.SUBSCRIBEI consent to receiving emails and personalized ads.
HOW TO MAKE A BANANA PUDDING CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 inch pans and line with parchment circles
- Blending the Dry Ingredients: In the mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, & salt. Turn on the mixer and blend for 30 seconds to incorporate.
- Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl
- In a separate bowl, slice and mash the bananas, add lemon juice, eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla and buttermilk. Lightly mix these ingredients with a fork to blend
- Time to add the wet ingredients! Slowly add the banana/buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients beating on medium speed for 1 minute, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat another minute.
- Divide it between the pans. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the freshly baked cake layers in their pans on a wire rack for about ten minutes and then turn out.
Easy Banana Pudding Cake
In my opinion, banana pudding is the perfect dessert. The combination of creamy pudding, soft Nilla Wafers, and fluffy whipped cream creates the ultimate combination of textures and flavors that simply can’t be beat. It’s a beloved Southern dessert with an army of devoted fans (myself included) — and for good reason!
This cake is everything I love about the quintessential Southern dessert, reimagined into a simple layer cake fit for a celebration. The moist layers of banana cake are layered with crushed Nilla Wafers and sliced banana, and it all gets coated in a light whipped cream frosting. While it certainly looks impressive, it’s actually incredibly easy to make. It comes together within an hour and stays moist for several days, thanks to a few clever ingredients.
3 Clever Ingredients That Make This Cake So Good
A few shortcut ingredients make this cake incredibly easy to pull off. The first is vanilla cake mix. This cuts down the ingredient list significantly, and means you can tackle this dessert in less than an hour.
The second is banana cream pudding mix. It gets added straight to the cake batter and is a trick home bakers have sworn by for years to keep their cakes super moist. It also gives this cake its signature banana cream pudding flavor and cheery yellow color. If unavailable, you can use vanilla pudding mix in a pinch, although the flavor will be a bit less banana-y.
Lastly, cream cheese gets added to the whipped cream frosting to help stabilize it. This prevents the frosting from deflating or melting and gives it a fluffy texture. Taste-wise, you might not know it’s there, but it helps the cake last for multiple days in the fridge.
Easy Banana Pudding Cake
A simple layer cake recipe that captures all of the flavors, textures, and nostalgia of classic Southern banana pudding.
YIELDServes 8 to 10
PREP TIME15 minutes
COOK TIME20 minutes to 25 minutesShow Nutrition
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box vanilla or white cake mix
- 1 (3-ounce) box cook and serve banana cream pudding mix (not instant)
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups cold heavy cream
For assembly:
- 1 (11-ounce) box Nilla Wafers, divided
- 2 medium ripe (but not spotty) bananas
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the cake: Place the 8 ounces cream cheese for the frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer and let it sit out at room temperature while you make the cake. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.) Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.
- Place 1 cup full-fat sour cream, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, and 3 large eggs in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add 1 box cake mix and 1 box banana cream pudding mix and whisk until smooth. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared baking pans.
- Bake until the cakes are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Place the pans on a wire rack and cool completely. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
- Make the frosting: Add 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the bowl of cream cheese. Beat with the whisk attachment on medium speed until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually pour in 3 cups cold heavy cream. Continue beating until the mixture thickens and is smooth, 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer 1 cup of the frosting to a small zip-top bag and set aside.
- Assemble the cake: Place 3 1/2 cups of the Nilla Wafers in a large zip-top bag. Seal the bag and gently crush the wafers with a rolling pin or the bottom of the frying pan into coarse crumbs. Peel and thinly slice 2 medium ripe (but not spotty) bananas.
- Remove the cakes from the pans. Using a serrated knife, trim the rounded tops off of each cake. Place one cake layer, cut-side down, onto a serving platter or cake stand. Dollop with 1 cup of the frosting and smooth into a thin layer from edge to edge with an offset spatula. Top with the sliced bananas, then 1 cup of the crushed Nilla Wafers in an even layer.
- Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Cover the sides of the cake with the remaining crushed Nilla Wafers by taking a handful of the crushed cookies and gently pressing them against the side of the cake (start at the bottom and work your way up) so they stick to the frosting. Any pieces that don’t stick and fall off can be pressed back into the frosting until the sides are completely covered.
- Snip off one bottom corner of the bag of frosting. Pipe small decorative mounds of the frosting around the top of the cake. Insert a whole Nilla Wafer between each mound of frosting.
Banana Pudding Cake
Though it will be hard, try to resist adding a ton of pudding in between the layers. Otherwise, things will get pretty messy. If that means there’s extra pudding left over, so be it. We know you’ll find some use for it. 😉YIELDS:8 – 10PREP TIME:0 HOURS 20 MINSTOTAL TIME:1 HOUR 20 MINSINGREDIENTS1
box vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box1
(3.4 oz) box vanilla pudding mix2 c.
cold milk1/2 c.
Cool Whip1 1/2 c.
butter, softened5 c.
powdered sugar2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt 1/4 c.
plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream2
bananas, sliced1 c.
crushed Nilla Wafers
Whole Nilla Wafers, for garnish DIRECTIONS
- Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Line two round 9″ cake pans with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray. Prepare cake mix according to package instructions. Divide batter between cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in pans then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make pudding: In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip.
- Make buttercream frosting: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, combine butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add remaining sugar and heavy cream and beat until smooth.
- Assemble cake: Using a serrated knife, cut off the rounded top of each cake to level. Top one cake with a layer of pudding then top with most of the banana slices (reserve some for garnish). Place second cake on top and frost entire cake with buttercream, reserving about 1 cup to pipe on top. Press crushed Nilla wafers around the sides of the cake.
- Transfer remaining buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe large swirls around the top of the cake. Decorate with Nilla wafers and more banana slices