Banana Pudding Cake
Layered Banana Pudding Cake: This ultra-moist banana cake recipe is topped with creamy pudding, fresh bananas, whipped cream, and vanilla wafers. Itโs easy to make, and packed with southern charm!
Why We Love This Easy Banana Cake Recipe
Bananas and Baking are a perfect pair.
Ripe mashed bananas do wonders for the flavor and texture of cakes, sweet-breads, and even cookies! I am a fan of anything banana flavored, especially my banana cream pie.
They add additional moisture, without watering down the batter, and their natural sweetness complements other flavors instead of overpowering them.
Banana Pudding
In some cases, you can even use bananas as a butter and sugar substitute for healthier baked goods.
Although itโs great to use bananas as a baking enhancer, I often prefer bananas as the star of the showโฆ Like in todayโs Layered Banana Pudding Cake!
Traditional southern banana pudding is a classic American treat that is hard to resist and an easy recipe.
Layering pudding with fresh bananas and vanilla wafers gives it diversity in texture and flavor. However, I like my banana pudding with a bit more of a base.
What Ingredients You Will Need
For the Banana Cake:
- 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- 2 large ripe bananas, smashed
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
For the Pudding Layer:
- 5.1 ounce Vanilla instant pudding mix (the XL box)
- 2 2/3 cups whole milk
For the Banana Layer:
- 7 large ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
For the Whipped Cream Top:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
Here Iโm using classic banana pudding elements on top of a tender banana cake, to create a tall, layered treat that is fabulous for any occasion.
This Layered Banana Pudding Cake is perfect for Easter and spring events, because itโs light and pillowy, looks gorgeous in its pan for potlucks, and slices into dreamy layers of heavenly bliss!
This easy banana cake contains 4 layers:
- Banana Cake on the bottom, made with a simple yellow cake mix and fresh ripe smashed bananas.
- Vanilla Pudding on top of the cake. Although one would think you would use banana-flavored pudding in a โBanana Pudding Recipeโ I find the fake banana flavor to be off-putting and overpowering. Use vanilla pudding mixture and real bananas to create a much fresher taste.
- Bananas on top of the pudding. A generous layer of ripe sliced bananas offers a pop of fresh flavor to the layer cake.
- Whipped Cream on top of the bananas. You can use Cool Whip if you prefer, but I think homemade whipped cream is best. Completely cover the bananas with whipped topping to keep them from browning.
See the Full (Printable) Easy Banana Pudding Cake Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Choosing the Right Dish
Although you can use a standard 9X13 inch (3-quart) baking dish for this recipe, the top layer will tower over the dish. This makes it a little difficult to cover without ruining the top.
My preferred baking vessel for this Layered Banana Pudding Cake is a new 9X13X3 inch Pyrex Deep baking dishโฆ Which holds 5 quarts and comes with an airtight lid.
Pyrex Deep baking dishes allow you to create, layer, and bake deeper than ever before! Proper storage can make all the difference.
Pyrex Deep dishes hold 50% more than standard baking dishes, so you can pour large layer-cake recipes into a single dish, without worrying about spillage in the oven. You can also use the 9X13-inch dish as a roasting pan for poultry and large beef roasts.
With our pudding cake recipe, I love that all four layers just come to the rim of this incredibly deep pan, so that I can sprinkle on toppings and cover it, knowing my toppings will still look pretty when I take the lid off of this airtight container.
That makes Pyrex Deep the perfect potluck dish!
Pyrex Deep Dishes come in three sizesโฆ 9X13 inch, 8X8 inch, and 7X11 inch and are available at Walmart. To make them even more versatile, each is sold with that handy lid for easy transport.
If you are in need of new bakeware, Pyrex Deep is the way to go. You can easily fit all your classic casseroles and sheet cakes in these dishes without concern.
And when youโre feeling creative in the kitchen, you can stack them and stuff them higher than ever before!
Banana Pudding Cake Tips & Tricks
Cool completely. I see you, impatient bakers. I know what youโre thinkingโฆ The cake just barely feels warm. I bet it will be alright if I add the pudding now. Ok guys, recipes state โcool completelyโ for a reason, not just to annoy you.
If you add the pudding too early, the heat will cause it to loosen and seep into your perfectly fluffy cake. Although the cake will still taste good, you may lose your pudding layer altogether. Go read a book, surf the web, or take a napโฆ Whatever is necessary to let your cake cool completely before layering.
Our Banana Pudding Cake is a wonderful make-ahead! You can make this cake up to a week in advance. Cover it with an airtight lid and refrigerate. If you want to decorate the top with fresh bananas, just leave them off until right before serving.
Have leftover cake? Yes, you can freeze it for up to 6 months! Just be sure to thaw the banana cake at room temperature before you are ready to serve it.
Change up the toppings! If you are feeling adventurous, try sprinkling toffee bits or chocolate chips over the top. Fresh berries are a good option as well. Iโve even added 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and/or 1 teaspoon coffee grounds to this cake batter to mix things up!
Want to slice it like a pro? You can create beautiful even slices, with all the layers showing, if you A) use a large serrated knife (like a bread knife), B) saw the cake in a short gentle motion, and C) wipe the knife off with a wet paper towel in between slices.
Learn More about Pyrex Deep On:
Recipe Variations
- Add extra fruit! Try adding berries along with the bananas for extra flavor and texture.
- Switch up the pudding! You can try using different pudding flavors like chocolate, banana or butterscotch flavors!
- Drizzle caramel! Top it off with a salted caramel drizzle for the ultimate banana pudding experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
Banana pudding is an old-timey classic dessert that has stood the test of time for a reason! Old-fashioned banana pudding is made of layers of vanilla custard or pudding, vanilla wafers, and fresh bananas. In this variation, it includes cake instead of the wafers to make a banana pudding layer cake that is to die for!
Fresh bananas have the tendency to oxidize and turn brown. The layer of fresh banana inside the cake will be covered fully with whipped cream, preventing them from oxidizing. If you plan to top the banana pudding cake off with more fresh bananas, only do so up to 30 minutes before serving!
To store, place the banana cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Sure, you can! Traditional banana pudding is made with vanilla pudding and fresh ripe bananas. However, if you want to accentuate the banana flavor even more, feel free to buy banana cream instant pudding mix.
More Decadent Spring Recipes
- Southern Cat Head Biscuits
- Fluffy Coconut Cream Pie
- Perky Lemon Bars
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
- The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake
- Cheesy Tomato Slab Pie
- Banana Pudding Poke Cake by Lil Luna
Check out the printable recipe card below for this dessert’s prep time and nutrition information.
Banana Pudding Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Banana Cake:
- 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- 2 large ripe bananas, smashed
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
For the Pudding Layer:
- 5.1 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix (the XL box)
- 2 2/3 cups whole milk
For the Banana Layer:
- 7 large ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
For the Whipped Cream Top:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vanilla wafers, crushed
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease only the bottom of a Pyrex 9X13 inch Deep Baking Dish. Set out a large mixing bowl. Pour the cake mix into the bowl. Add the mashed bananas, eggs, oil, and water. Whisk well until the mixture is mostly smooth, with just small chunks of banana left.
- Pour the cake batter into the Pyrex dish. Bake undisturbed for 30 minutes. Check the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is perfect. Cool the cake completely before layering the top.
- For the Layers: While the cake is cooling, prep the other layers. Pour the instant pudding into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the milk and beat for 2 minutes, as directed on the box. (FYI, You are using slightly less milk than mentioned on the box to create a thicker pudding layer.)
- Once the cake is cool, spread the pudding over the top in an even layer. Cover the top of the pudding with banana slices.
- Wipe out the stand mixer bowl and add in the heavy cream and sugar. Using the whip attachment, whip the cream on high until it forms firm peaks. (That means whip until the whipped cream is firm enough to stay in the position you place it in.)
- Spread the whipped cream over the bananas, making sure to cover them completely. Then sprinkle the top with crushed vanilla wafers. Cover the dish and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is brought to you be Pyrex. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for A Spicy Perspective.
love this recipe and so did co workers. Have made it a few times for them. Its so creamy and light. Yellow cake mix is perfect flavor for the added bananas. i sometimes add just coolwhip to the top with crushed wafers or i make a whipping cream with creamcheese added and powdered sugar. Great recipe
It was so moist and creamy, we loved this pudding cake so much! My family enjoyed this for dessert the other day, highly recommended!ย