Southern Banana Pudding Cake (Printable)
Moist banana cake layers with creamy vanilla pudding filling, whipped cream, and vanilla wafer topping.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 1/2 cup buttermilk
10 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 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 - 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer cookies, roughly crushed
16 - 1 cup heavy cream, whipped, or prepared whipped topping
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, tapping out any excess flour.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Fold in the mashed bananas. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk in three alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir gently until just combined — do not overmix.
06 - Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean.
07 - Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with cold milk in a bowl for 2 minutes. Allow it to thicken for 5 minutes, then gently fold in the whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
09 - Place one cooled cake layer on a serving platter. Spread half of the pudding filling evenly over the top. Arrange a layer of sliced bananas and sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafers.
10 - Position the second cake layer on top. Spread the remaining pudding filling over the surface. Finish with whipped cream, additional sliced bananas, and crushed wafers for garnish.
11 - Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the layers to set before slicing and serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of moist banana cake and silky vanilla pudding filling tastes like a hug from someone who really loves you.
- It looks impressive enough for a celebration but comes together with humble, everyday ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
- Toss your sliced bananas in a small squeeze of lemon juice before laying them on the cake or they will turn an unappetizing brown within an hour.
- Do not rush the chilling step because slicing into a warm or even room temperature cake will cause the pudding to ooze out and the layers to slide apart.
03 -
- Use bananas that are so speckled and soft you would normally throw them away because that is when their flavor is at its absolute peak for baking.
- Wrap the assembled cake gently in plastic wrap during the chill time so it does not absorb refrigerator odors from last nights leftovers.