Description
Creamy Southern banana pudding cake blends nostalgic comfort with sweet, layered indulgence. Rich vanilla custard and ripe bananas meld perfectly, inviting you to savor each delectable bite of classic Southern dessert magic.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Base:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 ripe bananas (mashed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pudding Layer:
- 2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups cold milk
- 2 ripe bananas (sliced)
Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup vanilla wafer cookies (crushed)
- 2 ripe bananas (sliced for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and thoroughly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan to ensure easy cake removal.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl until uniformly combined.
- In a separate bowl, mash ripe bananas until smooth and creamy, creating a rich banana base for the cake.
- Incorporate eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract into the mashed bananas, mixing until a homogeneous wet mixture forms.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined to prevent overmixing and maintain a tender cake texture.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly and smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating complete baking.
- Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature for about 1 hour.
- Prepare the pudding layer by whisking instant vanilla pudding mix with cold milk until thickened and smooth, approximately 2 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled, spread the pudding evenly across the cake’s surface.
- Arrange fresh banana slices over the pudding layer, creating a decorative and flavorful arrangement.
- Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, creating a light and airy topping.
- Spread the whipped cream gently over the banana layer, covering the entire surface.
- Sprinkle crushed vanilla wafer cookies across the top for added crunch and texture.
- Garnish with additional banana slices for a final decorative touch.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld and pudding to set completely.
Notes
- Check banana ripeness by ensuring they’re deeply yellow with brown speckles for maximum sweetness and intense banana flavor.
- Prevent cake from becoming dense by mixing wet and dry ingredients minimally, stopping just when combined to maintain light texture.
- Stabilize whipped cream by chilling mixing bowl and whisk beforehand, ensuring peaks hold shape and maintain creamy consistency.
- Adapt recipe for gluten-free diets by substituting all-purpose flour with almond or gluten-free flour blend without compromising cake’s delicate structure.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 382
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 51 mg