Banana Pudding Cake (Printable)
Moist banana cake layered with creamy vanilla pudding and topped with fresh bananas and crunchy vanilla wafers.
# 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 - ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - ½ cup buttermilk
10 - 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1½ 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 & Topping
14 - 2 large bananas, sliced
15 - 1½ cups vanilla wafer cookies, roughly crushed
16 - 1 cup heavy cream, whipped, or prepared whipped topping
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
04 - Blend in the mashed bananas. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir until just combined — do not overmix.
05 - Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
06 - Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
07 - Whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with cold milk for 2 minutes. Allow it to thicken for 5 minutes, then gently fold in the whipped cream. Chill until ready to assemble.
08 - Place one cooled cake layer on a serving platter. Spread half of the pudding mixture evenly over the top. Arrange a layer of sliced bananas and sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafers.
09 - Place the second cake layer on top. Spread the remaining pudding mixture over it. Decorate with whipped cream, the remaining sliced bananas, and additional crushed wafers.
10 - 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 pudding seeps into the cake layers overnight and creates something almost trance inducingly moist by morning.
- It feeds a crowd without requiring any fancy piping skills or decorating patience whatsoever.
02 -
- Underbaked layers will collapse under the weight of the pudding so test the center with a toothpick and trust what it tells you.
- Tossing the sliced bananas in a few drops of lemon juice before layering prevents them from turning an unappetizing brown overnight.
03 -
- Overripe bananas freeze perfectly so stash them in the freezer until you have enough for this recipe and thaw them before mashing.
- A splash of banana liqueur folded into the pudding filling takes this from good potluck contribution to something people will corner you about at parties.