Banana Pudding Layer Cake
This banana pudding layer cake tastes exactly like your favorite dessert! It’s made with tender banana cake layers, fluffy vanilla buttercream, and filled with vanilla wafers, fresh bananas, and homemade whipped cream.
Servings: 24
Calories: 463kcal
Ingredients
Vanilla Pudding
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup cold water 240g
- 1 3.4 oz package instant vanilla pudding
Banana Cake Layer Recipe
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas - about 3 large bananas 375g
- 2 tsp lemon juice 8g
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 390g
- 1 tsp baking powder 4g
- 1 tsp baking soda 6g
- 1 tsp fine salt 6g
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 170g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 150g
- 3 large eggs, room temperature 155g
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream, room temperature 380g
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil 30g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 454g
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 7 cups powdered sugar 875g
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 30g
Additional Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chopped vanilla wafers
- 2 large bananas, sliced
- 8 oz. container of whipped topping
- yellow sprinkle blend optional
Instructions
Vanilla Pudding
- Make the vanilla pudding first, because it needs a few hours to set.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk and cold water into a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
- Add in the vanilla pudding mix and whisk until smooth.
- Cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge to set for a couple hours, or overnight. This recipe makes about 3 cups of pudding, and you'll only need about 1 cup to fill the cake. I recommend using the leftover pudding to make mini banana pudding cups.
Banana Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line 3 round 7-inch or 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
- Use a fork or mixer to mash the bananas with the lemon juice. This will prevent them from browning. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed (about 2 minutes). The mixture should become lighter in color. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time, at a medium speed until combined.
- Add in half the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated on a low speed.
- Mix in the sour cream, mashed bananas, canola oil and vanilla extract on a medium-low speed, then mix in the rest of the dry ingredients until combined. The batter will be on the thick side, but that's exactly how it should be!
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 26-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then flip them onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Level with a serrated knife once they've fully cooled and set aside. If making these in advance, level the layers them wrap and freeze them.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- As the cake layers cool cools, make the vanilla buttercream.
- Beat 2 cups of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, until smooth.
- Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed.
- Slowly mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through mixing, add in 2 Tbsp of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
- Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thick, add in more heavy cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time).
- Place half of the buttercream in a large piping fit with a large round tip then set aside.
- Cover the remaining frosting with plastic wrap to prevent crusting.
Assembling this Banana Pudding Cake
- Stack and frost the banana cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
- Spread an even layer of vanilla buttercream on top of the first cake layer. Pipe a thick ring (I like to make two passes) around the cake layer to act as a frosting dam to keep the banana pudding in place.
- Carefully spread 1/2 cup of vanilla pudding inside the frosting ring. Place a layer of banana slices on top of the pudding, then sprinkle 3/4 cup of the chopped vanilla wafers on top of the banana slices. Spread about 1 cup of whipped topping over the wafers, then chill the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will help keep the cake layers in place and prevent the cake layers from sliding as you assemble the next layer.
- Add the next cake layer and repeat the process.
- Spread a thin coat of vanilla buttercream around the cake using a large offset spatula and smooth using a bench scraper. This crumb coat will keep all those pesky crumbs in place and make sure our second layer of frosting turns out perfect.
- Color your remaining buttercream yellow with gel food coloring and spread an even layer around the cake. Smooth it with a bench scraper or icing comb, then decorate as desired! I added a yellow sprinkle blend around the base of the cake and piped some buttercream dollops and swirls in a ring on top of the cake.
Video
Notes
This recipe can be made with a stand mixer or hand mixer. I like to use the paddle attachment when making the batter and frosting, but you can also use a whisk attachment or a large bowl and hand mixer.
Tips for Making the Best Banana Pudding Cake
- Be sure to properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale.
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to help them mix together better.
- Don’t over-mix your batter - stir until the flour is just combined.
- Bang your pans on the counter before baking them to help release any air bubbles that might be trapped in the cake batter.
- Don't level and torte your cake layers until they are completely cooled.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream around each cake layer before adding the banana pudding filling. It will act as a frosting dam and keep all that delicious filling in place.
- Use leftover pudding to make mini banana pudding cups! Layer pudding, chopped vanilla wafers, banana slices and whipped cream in 8 oz. cups for a quick and delicious snack.
- Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
- If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might've gone awry.
Making This Cake in Advance and Storage Tips
- Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
- Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
- You can also make the vanilla pudding up to a week in advance if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to 3 days. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
- I don't recommend freezing this cake, it gives the bananas a strange texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 231mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g