Twisted Banana Pudding Cake
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A layered banana cake baked with pudding mix in the batter for moist crumb. Three 8-inch pans give tall layers. Frosted with luscious cream cheese whipped with heavy cream for stiff peaks. Between layers, vanilla pudding and ripe bananas soften the mouthfeel. Crushed cookies around the sides add texture crunch. Adjust baking to visual cues, not clock. Sub heavy cream with half-and-half in a pinch. Adds sour cream for bite, oil for moisture. Cooling time critical. Avoid soggy bananas by adding at last minute. Keeps fresh 3 days refrigerated. This cake’s about layered flavors, textures, and understanding cake readiness by eye and feel.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
45 min
Servings:
12 servings
#banana desserts
#layer cakes
#southern baking
#pudding cakes
#cream cheese frosting
Banana pudding cake messes with your expectations. It’s not just banana bread dressed fancy. Three layers, pudding baked in batter, and sour cream tang make crumb moist but not dense. I’ve learned the hard way: timing and texture cues beat timers. Soft, glossy batter means ready for pans; dry flour or overmixed kills rise and crumble. Heavy cream in frosting whips beauty; no cream cheese giant blocks. Pudding inside? Makes cake almost custardy. Bananas layered inside add moisture bursts – sliced & fresh or browned nightmare. Crushed cookies on sides for crunch and hide frosting fails. Refrigerate, or cake turns sad mush. There’s magic but it demands respect.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 box vanilla pudding mix (for filling)
- 2 cups milk (for pudding filling)
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 ripe bananas sliced thin
- Crushed vanilla-flavored cookies (Nilla Wafers or substitute graham crackers)
- Vegetable shortening for pans
- Flour for dusting pans
About the ingredients
Measure cake flour, sift if possible, or cake turns tough; too much flour equals brick. Pudding mix in batter speeds moisture retention; instant vanilla pudding is key. Sour cream adds tang plus fat, oil brings moist softness–don’t replace both with butter or texture changes drastically. Eggs give structure. Sub buttermilk with milk plus lemon juice if needed; fresh is better for acidity. Heavy cream whips reliably for frosting; half-and-half can replace but results lighter, less stable peaks. Bananas? Use just ripe to firm; overripe makes layering sloppy. Crushed cookies for crumble - graham crackers work if no Nilla wafers. Don’t skimp on greasing pans–cake sticks terribly otherwise.
Method
Cake
- Oven at 350°F. Grease three 8-inch pans heavy with shortening, dust flour, tap out excess. No lazy greasing. Use soaked cake strips if you want even edges; keeps sides flat - I swear by them. It’s the difference between good and lone lopsided flour bomb.
- Beat eggs, whites, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, vanilla in big bowl. Use whisk; you want airy but no bubbles exploding everywhere. Sour cream adds tang, oil keeps crumb juicy; no butter here, saves dryness.
- Add cake flour and pudding mix. Whisk fast but barely—overmix = dense bricks. Batter looks glossy, thick but still pourable. Divide evenly into pans. Tap pans hard on counter to pop air bubbles. No fake tapping; you want silence after.
- Bake 23-28 minutes. Start checking center at 23 by inserting toothpick or skewer. Pull out clean or barely crumbed, no sticky goo. Top will be lightly golden with domed middle but no cracks. Jiggle gently: rubbery bounce signals moistness inside. Pull early rather than too late. Let cool completely on wire racks, turn out after 20 minutes so steam doesn’t sog layers.
- While baking, whisk vanilla pudding mix with milk in bowl. This is not instant; whisk until no lumps, fridge cold to set pudding thick. Thicker than pouring consistency is good. Refrigerate until assembly.
Frosting
- In stand mixer bowl or large bowl with hand mixer, whip cream cheese 3-4 minutes at med-high till fluffy but not melted. Use block cream cheese, not spreadable types full of stabilizers. Scrape sides.
- Add powdered sugar gradually, vanilla. Mix till combined. Stop, scrape again. Frosting must be consistent but not gritty from sugar.
- Pour in heavy cream. Whisk slow start, then speed up to medium-high till stiff peaks. Like holding fork upright in mountain peaks. No spills, no droops. Use immediately or cool covered for 15 minutes before frosting. Heavy cream can be swapped 1:1 with half-and-half for lighter but won’t peak as stiff.
Assembly
- On serving tray, place one layer face down. Pipe thick ring of frosting around edge – acts dam to hold pudding interior. Spoon half the chilled pudding into center, smooth with offset spatula.
- Add sliced bananas evenly. Bananas ripeness matters; overripe soggy mush wrecks structure, too green and flavor is chalky. Use bananas yellow with brown spots; slice thin.
- Second cake layer face down on top. Repeat pudding, bananas. Final cake layer on top, flat side up this time for neat top.
- Cover the entire cake with remaining frosting, smoothing with spatula or bench scraper. Press crushed cookies onto sides. Don’t skip - adds crunch and hides crumb mess.
- Pile whipped cream dollops and sliced bananas or cookie halves as garnish. Banana browned fast? Squeeze lemon juice to slow oxidation but works only short term.
- Keep refrigerated in airtight container. Best eaten within 3 days before bananas get too mushy and cake loosens.
- If you find cake drying too fast next time, add a simple syrup splash between layers, but watch soggy risk.
- This cake isn’t forgiving if rushed chilling steps. Patience in cooling layers pays big dividends.
Cooking tips
Start greasing pans with shortening, then dust flour; prevents sticking better than spray. Whisk whole eggs and whites separately for fluff or combine all for speed; take care not to trap bubbles hard to release. Combine dry cake and pudding mix last gently but don’t stop whisking early or lumps hide. Even batter distribution critical; tap pans hard to burst unwanted air pockets. Baking time is guideline: look for pale golden domes, toothpick test clean but crumbly preferred over wet. Cool on racks then invert to avoid soggy cake sides steaming in pan. Pudding mix for filling must chill enough to hold but not gel too stiff. Frosting needs cream cheese fully softened for fluffy whip. Add heavy cream slow to monitor stiffness. Build cake starting layers face down; frost dam essential for pudding retention. Don’t add bananas too soon to avoid quick discoloration. Chill fully to assemble and set - patience matters here more than anything.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Grease pans thick with shortening then dust flour heavily to avoid sticking. Skip sprays that let cake cling and tear. Tap pans on counter hard after pouring batter. Look for silence not drumroll. It means air bubbles popped or escaped. Batter shines glossy but still pourable. Overmix ruins rise. Batter too dull or thick means dense bricks later.
- 💡 Timing is flexible. Start checking at 23 minutes oven temp is key. Insert toothpick center; clean or few crumbs beats goo here. Jiggle pans gently mid-bake. Rubbery bounce signals moisture inside; too firm means overbaked dryness soon. Brown edges fade fast once out. Cool on racks uncovered to trap no steam or sog layers. Flip out after 20 mins or banana layers get sad mush real quick.
- 💡 Add sour cream and oil for moist crumb, skip butter or flavor shifts. Sub buttermilk with milk plus lemon juice if fresh but acidity needed. Use block cream cheese fully softened when whipping frosting. Avoid spreadable tubs packed with stabilizers, they kill fluff. Pour heavy cream slow; stop if runny then add more, beat to stiff peaks. Half-and-half lightens but won’t hold stiff shape long.
- 💡 Fresh bananas key; yellow skin with brown spots. Slice thin and add just before stacking to reduce browning. Overripe mush messes the whole structure, too green brings chalky bite. Lemon juice on browned slices slows oxidation but not forever. Crushed vanilla cookies pressed on sides hide crumbs and give crumbly texture contrast to soft layers.
- 💡 Assembly needs patience. Pipe thick frosting dam on edges for pudding to stay put. Chill pudding filling long enough to thicken but avoid gelled glue stage. Layer flipping face down controls smooth surface and neat top layer finish. Cool cake fully before frosting, warm cakes ruin texture and frosting slip. If dryness hurts later, drizzle simple syrup between layers but watch soggy banana risk.
Common questions
How do I know cake is baked without over or under baking?
Toothpick clean or few crumbs best guide. Jiggle pan mid bake for rubbery spring feel. Golden domed top no cracks signals good moisture. If toothpick wet, bake longer quick check. Underbake dries crumb eventually, avoid by watch cues, not clock.
Can I substitute heavy cream in frosting?
Yes, half-and-half works 1:1 but don’t expect stiff, stable peaks. Flip taste and texture lighter but frosting soft, droopy if held long. For no heavy cream, cold coconut cream whipped might serve but changes flavor drastically.
What if bananas brown fast after slicing?
Lemon juice squeeze helps short term only. Refrigerate to slow oxidation too. Slice last minute or layer tightly with pudding to protect. Overripe bananas cause sog and dark spots, ruin firm layering. Use just ripe range not mushy or green.
How should cake be stored?
Airtight container refrigerated tops fresh about 3 days owing to banana moisture risks. Can freeze layers separately wrapped well, thaw chilled overnight. Frosted cake freezes okay but texture shifts, cream cheese frosting can separate. Room temp not recommended beyond few hours.
