This post first appeared on Savory Experiments where I am a contributor.
This Banana Pudding Cake has all of the flavors of the classic Banana Pudding dessert. White cake layered with whipped cream cheese frosting, banana pudding, fresh bananas, and Nilla wafers make this Banana Pudding Cake the perfect summer dessert.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR BANANA PUDDING CAKE
Although I am a huge fan of using scratch recipes for most of my cakes, I chose to use a doctored cake mix for this Banana Pudding Cake. The consistency of a boxed cake mix pairs so great with the banana pudding and creates a fluffy, delicious cake.
Cake Ingredients
- Vanilla Cake Mix
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable Oil
- Sour Cream
- Vanilla Extract
- Banana Cream Instant Pudding
The Filling
- Vanilla Pudding Mix
- Milk
- Bananas
For The Frosting
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Cream
- Nila Wafers
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
The traditional banana pudding dessert includes whipped cream, however I wanted to do something that was a little more stable than whipped cream for this layered cake. I decided to go with a whipped cream cheese frosting and it did NOT disappoint.
My family, in particular my sister, LOVES my cream cheese frosting. She will literally eat it with a spoon..
So I added a few things to my original recipe to give it a more “whipped” texture which paired perfectly with this cake.
HOW TO MAKE A BANANA PUDDING CAKE
To Make The Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350F
- Prepare three 8” cake pans by rubbing generously with vegetable shortening and dusting with flour
- Combine all cake ingredients by whisking in a large mixing bowl
- Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans
- Tap each pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles in the batter
- While the cakes are baking, combine the vanilla pudding mix and milk in a small bowl and allow to chill until the cakes have cooled
For The Frosting
- Add softened cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until smooth and fluffy
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla until completely combined
- Mix in heavy cream and whisk at low speed until the mixture begins to thicken
- Slowly increase speed to medium-high until stiff peaks form
To Assemble
- Place a layer of cake face down on a serving tray
- Make a circle of frosting around the edge of the cake
- Fill the center of the circle of frosting with half of the pudding mixture
- Repeat this process with your next layer of cake
- Finish with the final layer of cake. Smooth remaining frosting and garnish the top and sides of the cake with crushed Nila Wafers.
SERVING AND STORING
This cake is best after it has set for a while to let the flavors “marry”-as my grandmother loved to say. My recommendation would be to prepare the cake the day before you plan to serve it and leave off the crushed Nilla wafers until you are ready to serve.
Store the cake in an air tight container to keep the cake from drying out.
MORE CAKE RECIPES:
EQUIPMENT USED:
If you love this Banana Pudding Cake as much as I do make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can try it too!
Banana Pudding Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 2 eggs plus 2 egg whites
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3.4 ounces banana instant pudding
FILLING:
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 2 bananas sliced
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream cold
- 2 cups Nilla Wafers crushed
DECORATIONS – OPTIONAL
- Nilla Wafer cookies whole
- Whipped Cream
Instructions
CAKE:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare three 8-inch cake pans by rubbing generously with vegetable shortening and dust with flour. Discard any remaining flour and set aside. If using cake strips, soak and place them on now.
- Combine the eggs, egg whites, buttermilk, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the cake and pudding mix and whisk vigorously until well combined and smooth, but do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and tap each cake pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 20-23 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cakes are baking, combine the vanilla pudding mix and milk into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Place in the refrigerator to set until the cakes have cooled.
FROSTING:
- Prepare the frosting by adding the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or using an electric hand mixer, beat for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add in the heavy cream and start whisking on low speed until the cream starts to thicken and slowly increase the speed to med-high. Continue whisking until you get stiff peaks. Add the frosting into a piping bag with a large round tip.
ASSEMBLY:
- Place one layer of cake face down onto a serving tray. Trace a thick circle of frosting around the edges of the cake. Place half of the pudding into the center of the circle and smooth. Top the pudding with an even layer of sliced bananas. Continue with the other layer of cake.
- Once you have all layers stacked, smooth the rest of the frosting over the entire cake. Cover the sides of the cake in crushed Nilla Wafers and top with whipped cream and extra sliced bananas or Nila wafers.
- Keep leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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