Banana Pudding Layer Cake
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This Banana Pudding Layer Cake has all of the flavors of your favorite banana pudding, but in cake form! This beautiful dessert brings together homemade vanilla cake, banana custard, fresh bananas, and light whipped cream frosting. The creamy textures and classic banana pudding flavor make it a great choice for birthdays, holidays, or whenever you want to treat a banana fan.
Table of Contents
- Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Banana Pudding Cake
- More Cake Recipes
It’s a pretty simple idea, really, my favorite vanilla cake recipe, layered with my favorite pastry cream, plus fresh bananas and whipped cream. The homemade vanilla wafers from the other day are a fun garnish, but I think they’d be darn good in between the layers, too.
I was trying to keep the frosting job kind of rustic, just to emphasize the whipped cream’s fluffiness.
It’s one of my favorite frosting recipes. You may remember it from those Tuxedo Cupcakes I showed you a few weeks ago. A little cream cheese and powdered sugar are added, which keeps it more stable and prevents weeping.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All the flavor of banana pudding, but in cake form.
- Tender vanilla cake layers made from scratch.
- Silky homemade custard with real banana slices!
- Light whipped cream frosting that holds its shape and pipes easily.
- Perfect for making-ahead! The flavors get even better after chilling.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you’re cooking.
For the Vanilla Cake
- Cake flour: Gives the cake a delicate, soft crumb.
- All-purpose flour: Adds structure and balance.
- Granulated sugar: For sweetness and moisture.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Make sure these are fresh for the best results.
- Kosher salt: Cannot be swapped with table salt.
- Unsalted butter: Softened. If you only have salted butter, omit the additional Kosher salt.
- Eggs: Help bind the batter and add structure.
- Milk: Adds moisture; whole milk is best. Avoid skim and 1%.
- Greek yogurt: Keeps the cake moist and slightly tangy. You can use sour cream or buttermilk instead, if that’s what you have available.
- Vanilla extract: Use the real stuff, please!
For the Banana Pudding Filling
- Egg yolks: Fresh farm eggs are ideal, but grocery-store eggs will work.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the pastry cream.
- Cornstarch: For thickening.
- Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor.
- Milk: Whole milk works best here, too!
- Vanilla extract: Again, avoid imitation vanilla if at all possible.
- Fresh bananas: Sliced, for layering into the filling.
For the Whipped Cream Frosting
- Cream cheese (brick style): Stabilizes the frosting and adds richness. Make sure it is softened!
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens without any grittiness.
- Heavy whipping cream: Cold, to whip into soft peaks.
- Vanilla wafers and banana slices: Optional garnish to finish the cake.
How To Make Banana Pudding Cake
Step 1: Make the Vanilla Cake Layers
Preheat your oven to 325°F and prep three 6-inch cake pans with non-stick spray and parchment rounds. Whisk together the flours, sugar, leaveners, and salt. Mix in the butter until the texture resembles damp sand.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl well. Stir in the milk, yogurt, and vanilla, then beat the batter until light and fluffy. Divide evenly into pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 2: Make the Banana Pudding Filling
Heat the milk until steaming.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return everything to the pot and cook over medium-low, stirring until thick.
Stir in vanilla, then strain the custard through a fine sieve. Cover with plastic wrap (pressed directly onto the surface) and chill.
Step 3: Make the Whipped Cream Frosting & Assemble
Whip cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Slowly stream in cold cream while whipping, then increase speed and whip to stiff peaks.
Layer cake with banana pudding and sliced bananas. Add a thin layer of whipped frosting between layers. Stack all three layers and frost the outside with whipped cream frosting.
Garnish with crushed vanilla wafers and banana slices.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Let the cake layers cool completely before assembling to prevent the filling from melting.
- Use ripe but firm bananas to keep the texture nice and avoid browning.
- For ultra-smooth custard, don’t skip straining the custard!
- If you’re short on time, use a piping bag for quick, clean frosting application.
More Cake Recipes
- Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Magic Custard Cake
- Zucchini Cake
- Funfetti Cake
- Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Devil’s Food Cake
Banana Pudding Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the vanilla cake
- 1 1/2 cups (187.5 g) cake flour
- 3/4 cup (93.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) scant kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, , softened
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup (162.67 g) milk
- 1/2 cup (100 g) Greek yogurt, (sour cream or buttermilk* may be substituted)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the banana pudding filling
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 3/4 cups (183 g) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 (1.5) fresh bananas,, sliced
For the whipped cream frosting
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) cream cheese, (the kind in a brick)
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 2 1/4 cups (535.5 g) heavy whipping cream,, cold
- homemade vanilla wafers, for garnish
- 1 fresh banana,, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
Make the vanilla cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, and mist three 6-inch diameter cake pans** with non-stick spray. Cut three circles from parchment paper, and place them in the bottoms of each pan.
- Place the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the butter, and mix on medium-low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
- Add the milk, yogurt, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, to aerate the batter and strengthen the cake’s structure.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pans, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool for twenty minutes, then unmold and place on wire racks to cool completely.
Make the banana pudding filling:
- Heat the milk in a small pot until small bubbles form around the edge, and wisps of steam are rising from the surface.
- Place the yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the hot milk to the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking to combine.
- When all the milk has been added, transfer the mixture back to the pot and place over medium-low heat.
- Cook the pastry cream, whisking constantly, until thickened (the mixture should be the consistency of pudding).
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer, into a heat-safe bowl. Use the back of a ladle to press the mixture through the sieve.
- Press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate.
Make the whipped cream frosting and assemble the cake:
- Place the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Fit the mixer with a whisk attachment, and whip on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
- Turn the mixer down to medium-low speed and pour the heavy cream down the side of the bowl in a very slow and steady stream.
- When all the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to medium-high and whip until the frosting holds stiff peaks.
- Place one layer of vanilla cake on a serving platter. Spread half the pastry cream on the cake, and top with sliced bananas. Spread a small amount of whipped cream frosting over the bananas, and top with the second cake layer.
- Repeat, topping with the third layer.
- Frost the cake with the whipped cream frosting, and garnish with homemade vanilla wafers and additional sliced bananas.
Notes
For more info on the filling, click here: Pastry Cream.
For more info on the frosting, click here: Whipped Cream Frosting.
Incredible recipe
My Husband requested a banana filled Birthday Cake for a Special Milestone Birthday. I came across this recipe and cannot say enough about the compliments I received. The cake’s presentation was A+. This dense vanilla cake, banana pudding filling and whipped cream frosting was decadent.
Next time I might add fresh strawberries with the bananas!
I got confused for a bit as u use pastry cream instead of banana pudding i kept reading thinking the pastry cream and cream frosting are the same thing! Then reading a few time and realize pastry cream is the banana pudding. It will be good if u use the same wording or pastry cream(banana pudding)
Cake turned out great! My dad cannot have chocolate or nuts any longer, so I was looking for a different option for his birthday cake. This cake did not disappoint. I used the 8 inch pans and made a recipe and a half of batter. The pastry cream and whipped cream frosting blended so well with the bananas and moist yellow cake. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
My pleasure Adrienne! So happy you liked it. Thanks for the positive review and happy belated birthday to your dad!