Banana Pudding Cake

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This Banana Pudding Cake is a delicious dessert mash-up of a classic yellow cake and banana pudding. It’s simple to make in about an hour, using boxed cake and instant pudding mix, so it couldn’t be easier. Every bite is filled with sweet banana flavor that’s anything but dry, and topped in a dreamy whipped frosting. Sprinkled with vanilla wafers, it’s the kind of dessert that melts in your mouth.

Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I am not a fan of banana pudding but my husband is. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this delicious cake. I took it to a party and everyone loved it! Definitely a keeper.“
— Ellen

There is something about banana pudding that makes it the perfect dessert for a crowd all year round. From backyard barbecues to potlucks or Sunday church gatherings, it’s a dessert that I always find on the table.

If you love the creamy classic, did you know you can make a Banana Pudding Cake too? This cake version is so easy to make using a store-bought cake mix as the base, along with banana pudding mix. Frosted with a whipped icing, every bite is pure heaven. It’s become a cake we have for the holidays and is requested for numerous birthday parties throughout the year, too. My family even tells me this cake version may be better than the classic… if that is even possible!

If you love a pudding-inspired dessert, try my copycat Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding recipe. And for more mash-ups, check out this Banana Pudding Cheesecake Parfait and the refreshing, and sweet Lemon Pudding Poke Cake recipe.

Why you’ll love this Recipe

Banana Pudding Cake is a show-stopping dessert that is perfect for any celebration. No matter the occasion, I always get so many compliments.

❥All Ages Will Love this Cake: Both kids and adults will be thrilled when they try this treat. It’s one of my kids’ favorites.

❥A Classic Recipe with a Twist: A banana pudding cake combines the best of Southern banana pudding with a tender cake, for an indulgent bite that’s easy to serve a crowd.

❥Easy Dessert for Any Level Baker: This recipe uses just a few basic ingredients and can be whipped up effortlessly. It’s a great recipe for when you’re short on time but still want to impress!

Nikki

Ingredients

• Cake mix: Get a head start with 1 box of yellow cake mix as the base of this cake recipe.
• Instant banana pudding: Banana cream instant pudding mix gives the cake that pudding-like flavor and texture. Use some for the icing and some for the batter. 
• Sour cream: Make a perfectly moist cake with sour cream.
• Milk: Helps bind the ingredients and adds creamy richness. Use whole milk for the best results.
• Vanilla: Add depth to the taste of the cake with vanilla extract.
• Eggs: Create a fluffy cake and bind the ingredients with 4 large eggs at room temperature.
• Whipped cream icing: Mix together heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, 24 vanilla wafers, and a little instant banana pudding mix for a silky, airy icing with bits of vanilla wafer for a crunchy texture.
• Garnish: Top the cake with extra wafers, a sliced banana dipped in lemon juice, and some whipped cream – Yum!

Step 1 | Make the Cake Batter

Get started by preheating the oven. Set it to 350℉ for glass and 325℉ for dark or non-stick pans.

Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine together yellow cake mix, instant banana cream pudding dry mix, vegetable oil, sour cream, milk, and a bit of vanilla. Start slow, then increase to medium speed.

Also, add each egg one at a time until each egg is mixed in and the batter is just combined. Don’t forget to scrape the sides of the bowl and the bottom to get all that goodness! 

No stand mixer? No problem. You can use a large bowl with an electric mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.

Step 2 | Bake the Cake

Now, evenly pour the yummy batter into your bundt pan sprayed with baking spray. 

Bake according to the type of pan you use– 8 or 9-inch pans for 24 to 34 minutes or 35 to 45 minutes in a bundt pan. 

Don’t make the mistake of overbaking this cake. Be sure to check it as it cooks because ovens vary in temperature. In fact, I feel like baking times change each time I cook!

After the cake bakes, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then, turn it over onto a baking rack to finish cooling before adding the fluffy whipped topping.

Step 3 | Make the Whipped Cream Icing

In the meantime, get the icing mixed and ready to spread! 

Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add a few spoonfuls of instant banana cream dry pudding mix, and whip the icing until medium peaks form. Then, fold in chunks of cookies.

Now, chop 24 vanilla wafer cookies into bite-sized chunks or finer if that’s more your style. I like to carefully chop them with a sharp knife so you get chunks of the cookies. Then, I crush some of it into a finer dust-like texture to sprinkle on top of the cake before digging in.

Step 4 | Ice and Decorate

Now for the final touches! Once the entire cake cools, ice it with the whipped icing you just prepared. Top the banana cake with bananas dipped in lemon juice, whole vanilla wafers, finely crushed wafers for a pretty presentation, and some swirls of whipped cream if you would like. 

TIP: You can even make stabilized banana pudding whipped cream for the swirls. Add a little instant vanilla or banana pudding mix to my homemade whipped cream for a firmer whipped topping.

Serve this cake right away or store it to enjoy later. Either way, get ready for this deliciousness!

• Box of Cake Mix: For a unique flavor profile, swap the yellow boxed cake with a white cake mix or even rich chocolate!
• Make a Lighter Version: Use creamy Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a healthier option.
• Customize the Cake to Your Liking: Experiment with different cake and pudding mixes to create similar recipes with fun, creative flavor combinations, like strawberry banana, chocolate banana, peanut butter and chocolate, and more!
• Kind of Milk: You can make this batter with other milks, like heavy cream for extra richness, or non-dairy milks like almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. Results may vary; this has been tested with whole milk.
• Icing Short Cut – Banana Pudding Cool Whip Icing: When you’re short on time, you can take a shortcut by replacing the heavy cream mixture with Cool Whip. Just remember to also mix in the pudding mix and the yummy wafer cookies!
  • For an extra-fluffy Banana Pudding Cool Whip Icing, mix (1) 3.4-ounce box of instant banana cream pudding mix with 1/2 cup of milk. Then fold in thawed frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip) until smooth. Then add in chunks of vanilla wafers and gently stir to combine.
• Layer Cake: Depending on your pans, bake multiple cake rounds by splitting the recipe or making a double batch. Between the cake layers, be sure to add a generous layer of pudding and extra bananas, if you’d like.

Banana Pudding Cake

Nikki Lee

5 from 2 votes

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This Banana Pudding Cake will be your new favorite easy dessert that uses less than 10 ingredients. Iced with a vanilla wafer whipped cream frosting, it's a bakery-style dessert that's surprisingly simple to make at home.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Equipment

• 1 bundt pan
• 2 8 inch round cake pans
• 1 9X13 pan
• Spatula
• mixer

Cooking ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

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• ▢ 1 box yellow cake mix
• ▢ 2 3.4 ounce banana cream instant pudding mix - divided [1 (3.4 ounce) box for cake and 4 tablespoons for the icing] – You may also use 1 large box and weigh and measure it.
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 8 ounces sour cream
• ▢ ½ cup milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 4 large eggs

For the Banana Pudding Whipped Cream Icing

• ▢ 2 ½ to 3 cups heavy whipping cream - see notes
• ▢ ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 3 to 4 tablespoons instant banana pudding mix, dry
• ▢ 24 vanilla wafers - I used the extra fine crushed cookies for the garnish

Garnish

• ▢ extra vanilla wafers
• ▢ 1 banana - sliced, dipped in lemon juice for garnish
• ▢ homemade whipped cream - optional

Instructions 

For the Banana Pudding Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350℉ for glass and 325℉ dark or non stick pans.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine together yellow cake mix, 1 (3.4 ounce) of instant banana cream pudding dry mix, 1 cup of vegetable oil, 1 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Start on low and then increase to medium speed. Add in each egg one at a time until each egg is incorporated and the mixture is just combined, scraping down sides and bottom as needed.
3. Spray pan/pans with baking spray. Pour evenly into a 10 – 12 cup bundt pan, 2 – 8 or 9-inch round cake pans, or a 9 X 13 pan.
4. Bake at 350℉ for glass and 325℉ dark or nonstick pans – in 8 or 9-inch pans for 24 to 34 minutes, or 35 to 45 minutes in a bundt pan, or 25 – 30 minutes for a 9X13 pan. Please check, as ovens vary, and I have found this to change each time I cook!
5. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then turn over onto a baking rack to finish cooling completely. Unless using a 9 X13, you can serve right from the pan if desired.

For the Banana Pudding Whipped Cream Icing

1. While the cake is cooling, chop 24 vanilla wafer cookies into bite-sized chunks or desired consistency. I prefer to carefully chop them with a sharp knife so you get chunks for the cookies, and then finer dust-like pieces can be used for garnish on top. (you can also pulse in a food processor or place it in a ziplock bag and beat it with a can or rolling pin).
2. In a stand mixer (with whisk attachment) or in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, add heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and 3 to 4 tablespoons of instant banana cream dry pudding mix. Whip until medium peaks form. Fold in chunks of cookies.
3. Once completely cooled, ice cake with whipped icing.
4. Garnish with sliced bananas dipped in lemon juice, whole vanilla wafers, and finely crushed wafers for presentation. For a bundt cake, you can ice the whole cake, serve the icing on the side, or fill the middle opening of the bundt cake and top it with garnish.
5. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review, letting us know how it was!

Notes

Notes on Icing: When making with a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, I used only 2 ½ cups of whipping cream with 4 tablespoons of pudding mix. It whips up perfectly fluffy.  

When using electric beaters, the icing seems to whip up firmer, so I like to use 3 cups of whipping cream and 3 tablespoons of pudding mix for a nice fluffy texture. 

If making round cakes, I like to use 3 cups for a little more icing coverage. This whipped cream icing is so good you won’t regret making a little more- even if making a bundt cake!

TIPS:

• Do not overbeat the heavy cream when making the banana pudding whipped cream icing! Remember you are looking for medium soft peaks, not firm peaks; the pudding mix firms it up. It should be fluffy and not like a buttercream. If you feel like the mixture is a little too firm, gently fold in some heavy cream, beginning with 2 tablespoons at a time, until you get the fluffy texture back.
• Use bigger chunks of cookies in the icing so that you do not get a gritty texture. You want bites of wafers for that banana pudding taste. See the image in the blog post. Use those fine crumbs for topping the cake.
• Topping the Cake: When making the bundt cake, there are a couple of ideas for frosting the cake. You could ice the whole cake, serve the icing on the side and let people dollup on as much as they like, or fill the middle opening of the bundt cake and then decorate as desired. I love using whole cookies, sprinkling on nilla wafer dust, and swirling on whipped cream.
• Fresh Bananas: I use a firmer banana for the garnish. Depending on how sweet you want the overall cake to taste, you can use extra-ripe bananas! Check out my trick for quickly ripening bananas if they are still a bit too green.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 436 kcal | Carbohydrates: 52 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 23 g | Saturated Fat: 13 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g | Trans Fat: 0.1 g | Cholesterol: 119 mg | Sodium: 407 mg | Potassium: 166 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 29 g | Vitamin A: 814 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 159 mg | Iron: 1 mg

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