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Banana Pudding Cake

This mile high Banana Pudding Cake recipe is an absolute dream to make and serve. Three tall layers of vanilla cake are sandwiched together with an easy banana pudding filling then frosted with plenty of whipped cream. Garnish with Nilla wafers then chill until serving to allow the cake to set. It’s simply glorious.  

how-to-make-banana-pudding-layer-cake

Easy Mile High Banana Pudding Cake Recipe

How to make Mile High Banana Pudding Cake. (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Cake Layers – Prepare the Old Fashioned Butter Cake layers per the directions and cool completely.
  • Dream Whip – Whip together both packets whipped topping with half and half until firm peaks form.
  • Pudding Mix – Add both packages of instant pudding, cold half and half and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until thickened. Add cream cheese and whipping until fully combined and fluffy.
  • Assemble – Place one cake round on a cake platter. Spread half of the filling over the bottom layer of cake. Top with cubed bananas. Gently press the bananas into the filling.
  • Repeat second cake round, filling and cubed bananas. Top with the last cake round.
  • Frost top and sides with whipped topping and garnish with vanilla wafers.
  • Refrigerate – Chill for at least 6 hours before cutting.
  • Store leftovers chilled.
homemade-butter-cake-recipe

How to Make the Best Banana Pudding Cake Recipe

This banana pudding layer cake is the result of one of my banana pudding experiments gone right. It’s a dessert rock star. This 3-layer version is tall, and I mean, skyscraper tall. It’s an impressive addition to your dessert table.

  • What you’ll need to make the cake layers for a Banana Pudding Layer Cake: This cake is designed as a 3-layer cake using my Old Fashioned Butter Cake recipe.  To make the cake batter you’ll need all purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, butter, vanilla and almond extract, eggs and buttermilk.
  • Ingredients needed for the filling: Half and half, Dream Whip whipped topping mix, instant vanilla pudding mix, vanilla extract, cream cheese, cubed or sliced bananas and whipped topping.
  • What is Dream Whip? It’s a dry whipped topping mix that forms volume, flavor and a stabilizer for the cake filling. You can find it on the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
  • Fresh whipped cream can be used in place of Cool Whip for the frosting. Please note, should you choose to do so it’s not as stable and will need to be frosted the day you plan on serving the cake. For this cake, Cool whip works best. You may also opt to frost the cake with a homemade Vanilla Buttercream or my recipe for 7 Minute Frosting. 
  • You can adapt this cake into a smaller version using a butter flavored cake mix for a two layer cake.
  • If you’d like to make your own pudding for the layers, checkout my recipe for old fashioned Banana Pudding.
  • Should you choose a shortcut using a cake mix, keep in mind that boxed cake mixes continue to dwindle in size. In that case, you’ll only need to prepare half of the filling should you choose to go that route.
  • To save time, the cake layers can be baked in advance, cooled then wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled until assembling.
  • After filling the cake layers, allow ample time for the cake to chill until set.
  • When made per the recipe, this cake will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If using fresh whipped cream, the shelf life decreases due to the oxidation of the bananas.
Banana Pudding Layer Cake

More Southern Layer Cake Recipes to Make

There are so many spectacular ways to bake with bananas and beyond. Checkout these recipes for more special occasion layer cake inspiration:

 
Banana Pudding Layer Cake

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

Banana Pudding Cake

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Chill time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 45 minutes
Course: Cakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana-pudding-layer-cake, banana-pudding-recipes, southern-banana-pudding-cake
Servings: 12 pieces
Calories: 863kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Old Fashioned Butter Cake ( baked in three 8 inch pans)
  • Filling:
  • 1 2.6 oz box dry whipped topping mix [i.e.Dream Whip] (Box contains 2 packets, use both)
  • 3 cup cold half and half divided
  • 2 3.4 oz boxes vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 12 oz whipped plain cream cheese
  • 2 large bananas diced
  • 1 16 oz container frozen whipped topping thawed
  • whole vanilla wafers plus 1/2 cup crushed for garnishing

Instructions

  • Prepare the Old Fashioned Butter Cake layers per the directions and cool completely.
  • Dream Whip: Using an electric mixer whip together both packets dry whipped topping mix with 1 1/4 cup cold half and half. Whip for 3 minutes or until firm peaks form.
  • To the bowl add both packages of instant pudding, 1 3/4 cups of cold half and half and 2 tsp pure vanilla extract.
  • Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Add cream cheese and whipping for 1-2 minutes until fully combined and fluffy.
  • Assemble: Place one cake round on a cake platter. Spread half of the filling over the bottom layer of cake then top with cubed bananas. Gently press the bananas into the filling.
  • Repeat cake layer, filling and cubed bananas. Top with the last cake layer.
  • Frost the tops and sides with whipped topping and garnish with vanilla wafers. Chill for at least 6 hours before cutting.
  • Store leftovers chilled.

Notes

Please note:
  • If you choose to use a cake mix for this cake, you’ll only need half the filling. 
  • To save time, the cake layers can be baked in advance, cooled then wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled until assembling. 
  • Allow ample time for the cake to chill until set. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 10.8g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 110.25mg | Sodium: 785.25mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 65.5g | Vitamin A: 1199IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 2.3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
 
 

60 Comments

  1. I can not wait to try this recipe it looks beautiful. I do have a question. Does the last layer have the cubed bananas on the top also?

    1. The cubed bananas are between the layers and not on top. However, you could pile some on top just before serving if you wish.

  2. My children and grands love banana pudding and i believe that this will be a great substitute for just Banana Pudding,have not tried it yet but ;looking forward to doing so and waiting for the results and comments

    1. Hi Denise, I sure hope they do. It’s such a spectacular cake and the filling is so luscious. Happy Baking!

  3. Just learning how to post….Bonnie Johnson here. I am sooo happy to see some cake recipies with a mix. I used to do everything from scratch but am getting older and this is easier. Love your food. Thanks for adding me. Will try this soon.

  4. Hi Karen, so happy you love this cake. The secret to the fluffiness is in the whipping, you can’t fudge on the time. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. ~ Melissa

  5. Hi Melissa, thank you for sharing your recipe. I have made the cake twice and got raving reviews. The first one was two layers and the filling didn’t fluff up as yours did, but the second one was three layers and the filling fluffed up and everything. It was gone within 5 minutes of cutting it. Such a good cake!!!

  6. I have a question about whipped cream cheese? Is it the whipped Philidelphia cream cheese or actually whipping heavy cream and cream cheese together?

  7. My husband absolutely loves banana pudding, so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I did change it up a bit. I added bananas and crumbled vanilla wafers to the cake batter. also in the layering I added vanilla wafer crumbs. I did this mostly because my husband loves them. I did not use whip topping to ice the cake as 2 of my children do not like it, instead I used the filling to ice the cake and lined the entire cake with the vanilla wafers. it was so good. thank you for the inspiration.

  8. I’ve actually never had that happen with Cool Whip. It must be thoroughly chilled, though. Even though I really prefer fresh whipped cream, it won’t hold up as well and will breakdown far quicker. If you’re concerned I would recommend keeping it chilled until just before serving. That’s an important step when using any whipped topping, and don’t leave it sitting out in hot weather.

  9. I was just wondering how you keep the frosting from oozing off of the cake when you take it out to serve? Every time I use whipped topping as a frosting it loses its form quickly and then melts into a blob. Is there a certain brand of topping which works better than others? Do you just keep the cake very cold through serving?

    1. You can skip the cool whip all together and whip up some real cream stabilized. Google stabilized whipped cream. It really is the bomb of whipped toppings and so easy to do. Makes for a very pretty whipped decorator-style covering for a cake or anywhere you need pretty white, but not so sweet swirls.

      1. While I love and prefer fresh whipped cream I wouldn’t recommend that for this cake.

      2. You can use either. This is a tall cake super stuffed between the layers so, my preference is 9-inch.

      1. It’ all in the baking. If you don’t want to level the cake you can flip each layer upside down so the flat layer is on top.

      2. As soon as your cakes come out the oven flip them upside down leaving the top face down and use the bottom for the flatness!

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