Banana Pudding Cake (Printable)
Moist vanilla cake layered with banana pudding, sliced bananas, whipped cream and crushed wafers.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Batter
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 - ½ cup buttermilk
→ Banana Pudding Layer
11 - 1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
12 - 2 cups cold milk
13 - 2 ripe bananas, sliced into rounds
→ Whipped Cream Topping
14 - 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
15 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - 8–10 vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan, ensuring even coverage on all surfaces.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until uniformly blended.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale, light, and fluffy—approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to ensure full emulsification before adding the next.
05 - Mix in the mashed ripe bananas and pure vanilla extract until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Gradually add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the wet ingredients in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined—do not overmix.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.
08 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes until the mixture thickens to a spreadable consistency.
09 - Spread half of the prepared pudding evenly over the completely cooled cake. Arrange the sliced bananas in a uniform layer on top, then spread the remaining pudding over the bananas to seal.
10 - Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes to allow the pudding layer to firm up properly.
11 - In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped cream evenly over the chilled pudding layer.
12 - Sprinkle the crushed vanilla wafer cookies over the whipped cream topping just before serving to maintain their crunch. Slice into 12 portions and serve chilled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The banana flavor is subtle and sweet, never overpowering, which makes even banana skeptics come back for seconds.
- It looks impressive but comes together with basic pantry ingredients and zero fancy techniques.
02 -
- Wait until the cake is completely cool before adding pudding or it will melt into a messy puddle and soak through the crumb unevenly.
- Do not skip the chill time after layering, those 30 minutes in the fridge set the pudding so the whipped cream sits on top without sliding.
03 -
- Measure your mashed banana by volume rather than counting bananas, some are small and dense while others are large and watery, and the difference will change how moist your cake turns out.
- When whipping the cream, chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten minutes first, cold equipment whips faster and holds its shape longer.