If you like banana pudding you’re going to love this banana pudding layer cake! It’s made with tender banana cake layers that are filled with vanilla pudding, fresh banana slices, vanilla wafers, and fluffy vanilla buttercream.

It’s such a fun spin on this beloved southern dessert and is a total crowd pleaser!

What is Banana Pudding?

Before we dive into how to make this banana pudding cake, let’s talk about what banana pudding actually is. A lot of people think it’s made with banana-flavored pudding, but that’s not the case!

Banana pudding is usually made with layers of sweet vanilla custard or pudding, vanilla wafers or lady fingers, slices of fresh bananas and whipped cream.

While the name might make you think this dessert is full with banana flavor, there’s really just a hint of it from the fresh slices of banana. It’s just enough to give it a subtle, delicious banana flavor.

Banana Pudding Cake Ingredients & Substitutions:

This banana cake recipe uses quite a few ingredients and I know you might not have all of them on hand.

I’ve also got you covered if you have food allergies or restrictions. Below are some swaps and substitutions that you can make:

• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use a gluten-free flour blend if needed.
• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Brown Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• Eggs – If you have an egg allergy you can try using a vegan egg replacer.
• Sour Cream – You can also use full fat yogurt, buttermilk, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
• Vegetable Oil – You can use any flavorless oil in this recipe. Canola or even sunflower oil would work great.
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
• Sweetened condensed milk – I use the canned kind, but if you have a dairy allergy you can make your own vegan condensed milk.
• Vanilla Pudding Mix – Any vanilla pudding mix should work for this! Just be sure to get a 3.4 oz. sized box.
• Vanilla Wafers – I use mini Nilla wafers because they’re easier to cut up but any brand or even vegan vanilla wafers will work great.
• Whipped Topping – I like to use cool whip to keep things simple, but you can also whip up a batch of stabilized whipped cream if you feel like it.
• Slices Bananas – Fresh sliced bananas are a non-negotiable in this recipe. Use large, ripe bananas. The riper the banana, the more flavor it’ll add to this cake!

Tips for Filling this Banana Pudding Cake

Whenever you fill a cake with a soft filling, it’s important to assemble the cake in a way that will keep all that delicious filling place.

The secret to doing this is to a pipe buttercream ring around each cake layer. The frosting acts as a dam and keeps everything place as you crumb coat and frost your cake.

It’s super helpful to chill the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes after adding each layer of filling.

This helps those buttercream rings stay in place ever better and prevents any sliding that can happen when crumb coating a cake like this.

Making this Banana Pudding Cake in Different Sizes

I use 8″ cake pans to make this cake, but this recipe can be used to make different sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

You can make four 7″ or 6″ cake layers with one batch of batter. Bake the cake layers at 350 F / 175 C for 32-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Use one batch of batter to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 350 F / 175 C for 40-50 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly.

You can also use this recipe to make a Bundt cake. Bake time can vary based on the size and type of pan you use and range from 45-75 minutes.

I recommend using a toothpick to test for doneness. Check on it every 5-10 minutes once it’s baked for 45 minutes.

The final variation of this recipe is cupcakes!! This recipe makes about 36 regular sized cupcakes. Fill 3/4 full and bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

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 incorporated.
• 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 your cake layers until they have completely cooled to room temperature.
• Pipe a ring of buttercream around each cake layer before adding the banana pudding filling. It will help keep all that delicious goodness 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 make it more approachable.
• Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a month or the freezer for 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.
• If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think

If you make this banana pudding layer cake recipe, please tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets so I can see your beautiful creations.

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