Banana Pudding Cake (Printable Version)
Moist banana pudding cake with creamy vanilla layers, sliced bananas and whipped cream topped with crushed wafers.
# Ingredient List:
→ Cake
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) instant vanilla pudding mix
12 - 2 cups cold milk
13 - 2 ripe bananas, sliced
→ 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 9x13-inch cake pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
04 - Mix in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract until evenly combined.
05 - Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.
07 - In a bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix and cold milk for 2 minutes until thickened.
08 - Spread half of the pudding over the cooled cake. Layer the sliced bananas evenly on top, then spread the remaining pudding over the bananas.
09 - Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to allow the pudding layer to set.
10 - Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the pudding layer.
11 - Sprinkle crushed vanilla wafer cookies over the whipped cream just before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The banana flavor is real and deep, not artificial, because the fruit does all the heavy lifting in both the cake and the pudding layer.
- It looks impressive enough for a birthday but comes together with nothing more than a mixing bowl and a 9x13 pan.
02 -
- Do not try to spread pudding on a warm cake or it will melt into a soupy mess, patience while cooling is the single most important step.
- Wait to crush and sprinkle the vanilla wafers until just before serving, because they soften quickly once they hit the moisture of the whipped cream.
03 -
- Use a spoon to press the mashed bananas through a fine mesh sieve if you want a completely smooth cake batter with no stringy bits.
- Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten minutes before whipping the cream and it will whip up faster and hold its shape better.