Five star recipe for banana pudding cake

Banana Pudding Cake is an elegant twist on a traditional favorite that had graced every southern table. And this Banana Pudding Cake Recipe pairs layers of banana cake with a creamy pudding that is all topped off with a fluffy whipped frosting.

You’ll also like Bourbon Buttermilk Pie and Easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

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Banana Pudding is a southern favorite and everybody’s grandmother has THE best recipe. Well, move over, Grandma! There is a new banana creamy pudding cake in town.

Southern Banana Pudding Cake takes all the best things about banana pudding and combines them with cake. Seriously …what could be better than that?!?! If you love banana pudding you’ll love this cake.

What is Banana Pudding?

Traditionally banana pudding is made by layering sliced bananas, vanilla wafer cookies, vanilla pudding or banana flavored pudding, and topping the whole thing off with mounds of fluffy whipped cream. 

It’s usually made in advance and given plenty of time to chill in the fridge. The longer the dessert sits, the more the cookies begin to absorb the pudding. When you take your first bite and taste the soft and creamy, banana-studded layers, you will understand what all the fuss is about.

So why mess with something that’s already so good? Because this banana cake recipe takes all the goodness of the traditional southern recipe and elevates it to a whole new level. As a bonus, this cake has that WOW factor that you don’t get with classic banana pudding. 

Why Make This Recipe

• It’s SO easy to make. Boxed cake and pudding mixes are the secrets to this easy banana pudding cake. The cake will be done in under an hour.
• You don’t need fancy tools. We will give you instructions to pipe the frosting, but you don’t need to run out and by a piping bag. Simply snip the end off of a plastic bag!
• You’ll have bragging rights. Go ahead and print out a few extra copies of this recipe because everyone will be singing your praises and asking for the recipe. 
• It tastes great. Not only is this a pretty cake, but it is super delicious too!

Ready to learn just how easy it is to make this delectable southern dessert? Gather up those ingredients and I will show you….

How To Make Homemade Banana Pudding Cake

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Lightly oil or spray cake tins with cooking spray and set aside and preheat oven to 325 degrees F / 160 degrees C.
2. Combine the ingredients for the cake batter (vanilla cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, water, vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla extract and instant banana pudding mix ) in a large bowl and divide it into three round prepared pans. Bake them for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
3. While the cakes are baking, prepare the pudding filling mixture ( cool whip whipped topping, whole milk, vanilla instant pudding mix and banana slices ) and refrigerate it until needed.
4. Whip the ingredients for the frosting and set aside.
5. Let cakes cool completely before layering and frosting the cake and topping with crushed vanilla wafers. 

How To Create This Beautiful Layered Cake

• Place one of the cake layers onto a serving platter.
• Use a pastry brush to spread the cake with half of the milk mixture.
• Cover the cake with a layer of vanilla wafers.
• Spread on half of the pudding mixture.
• Top the pudding with a layer of banana slices.
• Repeat the process finishing with a layer of cake that is ready to be frosted. 
• Frost the cake and then garnish with crushed nilla wafers

Expert Tips

• Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
• Flat layers of cake will work best. If your cake layers have domes, use a serrated knife or a cake level to level them. 
• A pastry bag will help create beautiful dollops of frosting. Cut the corner off of a plastic storage bag if you do not have a pastry bag.
• If you prefer you can serve this with fresh banana slices on top, Cut them just before serving.
• This dessert gets better with time, so make it a day ahead of time.
• To prevent your fresh bananas turning brown, slice just before using and squeeze on some lemon juice.
• Make sure the frosting is easily spreadable.

Pro Tip: place several Nilla Wafers in a Ziploc bag, crush them with a rolling pin, and use to garnish the finished cake.

Delicious Variations

• You can use yellow cake mix or white cake mix if you prefer.
• use half vanilla pudding mix if you prefer but you will get less of a banana flavor.
• You could use a sweet cream cheese frosting if you prefer.
• I love studding mini chocolate chips into the frosting for effect and flavor.
• Feel free to add some shredded coconut to the filling and sprinkle on to the frosting.

Prep Ahead and Storage

Prep Ahead – you can bake the cake 2-3 days ahead of time, prepare the filling and frosting a day in advance, and store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed.

FAQs

Can I Bake This Cake in Advance?

If you can resist digging in, will keep well in the fridge for several days. If needed, you can bake and frost the cake 2-3 days in advance.

Can I Freeze It?

The entire, frosted cake will not freeze well, but you can bake the cake layers up to several weeks in advance and freeze them.

To do so, wrap your individual cake layers in several layers of plastic wrap and place them in the freezer while still warm. If you plan to leave them in the freezer for longer than a week, wrap then in a layer of foil as well.

When you’re ready to use, simply place the cakes out to thaw several hours in advance, and you will have delicious, extra moist cake layers that are ready to be frosted.

Serving Suggestions

Banana pudding cake is a classic summertime dessert that is perfect for serving up with classic barbecue dishes like:

• Smoked Chicken Wings.
• Easy Southern Coleslaw.
• Instant Pot Collard Greens.

More Southern Recipes

• Southern Grapes Salad.
• Shrimp Creole.
• Southern Squash Casserole.
• Candied Sweet Potatoes.
• Southern Salmon Croquettes.
• Pea Salad.
• Easy Southern Butter Beans.
• Southern Fried Pork Chops.

Thank you for reading my Banana Pudding Cake recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

Originally published April 2020.

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This is a delicious twist on a classic Southern dessert.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, southern

Servings: 8

Calories: 1625kcal

For the Cake:

• ▢ 1 box of vanilla cake mix use the dry mix only and replace the back of the box of cake mix ingredients with:
• ▢ 1 cup (128g) flour
• ▢ ½ cup (104g) sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup (236ml) water
• ▢ ¾ cup (177ml) vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 cup (240g) sour cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 5.1 ounces (1 box) banana instant pudding

For the Filling:

• ▢ 1 cup (120g) cool whip whipped topping
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup (350ml) milk
• ▢ 5.1 ounces (1 box) vanilla instant pudding
• ▢ 3 bananas sliced

For the Milk Brush:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons milk

For the Frosting:

• ▢ 6 large egg whites
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 6 cups (750g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 cups (453.6g) butter at room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla beans (I used the caviar from vanilla beans, as it adds pretty speckles in the frosting)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ Pinch of salt

Other ingredients:

• ▢ vanilla wafers, crushed for garnish

• Preheat oven to 325 F / 162 C. Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by cutting out parchment paper to line the inside of each pan and greasing the sides. Set aside.

• Mix cake ingredients together until combined. Divide mix equally into the 3 pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

• While cake is baking, whisk the filling ingredients together and then refrigerate until needed.

• Next, make the frosting by adding butter and sugar one cup at a time to a mixing bowl and cream together. Then add egg whites, whipping cream, vanilla beans (if using) or vanilla extract, salt, and lemon juice. Continue beating until fluffy and then set aside.

• When the cakes are done, place them on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then turn over and let them continue to cool face down. When cool remove the parchment paper.

• Place vanilla wafers in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin, then set aside to use as garnish when frosting the cake.

• Place one cake on a cake plate and begin to create the filling layers as follows:

  step 1: use a pastry brush to coat the top of the cake with a thin layer of milk brush mixture.

  step 2: add a layer of vanilla wafer cookies.

  step 3: spoon on and smooth out a layer of pudding filling.

  step 4: add one layer of banana slices.

  Place the second cake on top and then repeat the four layering steps. Then top with the third cake round, leaving it dry and ready to frost.

• Frost the entire cake evenly and then pat with crushed vanilla wafers along the bottom 3” of cake and the top of the cake. Create dollops of frosting along the top edge using a piping bag.

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Recipe Tips

• Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
• Flat layers of cake will work best. If your cake layers have domes, use a serrated knife or a cake level to level them. 
• A pastry bag will help create beautiful dollops of frosting. Cut the corner off of a plastic storage bag if you do not have a pastry bag.
• Crush several Nilla Wafers and use them to garnish the finished cake.

More Southern Recipes

• Southern Grapes Salad.
• Shrimp Creole.
• Southern Squash Casserole.
• Candied Sweet Potatoes.
• Southern Salmon Croquettes.
• Pea Salad.
• Easy Southern Butter Beans.
• Southern Fried Pork Chops.

• Southern Grapes Salad.
• Shrimp Creole.
• Southern Squash Casserole.
• Candied Sweet Potatoes.
• Southern Salmon Croquettes.
• Pea Salad.
• Easy Southern Butter Beans.
• Southern Fried Pork Chops.

Serving: 8g | Calories: 1625kcal | Carbohydrates: 219g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 81g | Saturated Fat: 53g | Cholesterol: 231mg | Sodium: 1513mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 169g | Vitamin A: 1891IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 279mg | Iron: 3mg

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