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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Published: Jul 5, 2022 Modified: Apr 2, 2023 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Southern Banana Pudding Cake

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    promotional image for Southern Banana Pudding Cake

    You are going to love this southern banana pudding cake. Made from a doctored-up boxed cake mix and filled with banana pudding before being covered in a homemade whipped cream cheese frosting.

    southern banana pudding cake fully decorated and sitting on a wooden cake stand

    If you're looking for the ultimate banana pudding cake recipe, this one is it. Made with minimal ingredients and effort, this cake looks almost too good to eat!

    Make a fancy cake for under $10 with this great recipe! This easy banana pudding cake is one of our favorites, and it's not hard to see why. Packed with so much flavor in every bite, this is a perfect cake for any occasion.

    We love banana cakes like this Banana Pound Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze, but sometimes boxed cake mixes are ideal time savers!

    Why This Recipe Works

    1. Minimal ingredients. From start to finish, you'll need less than a dozen ingredients to make this cake, the frosting, and the filling inside.
    2. Perfect for any occasion. This cake can be great for summer, spring, and everything in between, like forest and monkey theme birthday parties or baby showers.
    3. It looks like more effort than it really is! It's always great when something takes minimal effort to pull together, but this recipe really takes the cake. It looks like it takes hours of manual labor, but it requires very little effort, and just a tad more patience.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🧾 Substitutions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Storage
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments
    labeled ingredients needed to make the banana cake
    labeled ingredients needed to make the frosting for this cake

    🥘 Ingredients

    For the Cake, you will need:

    Yellow Cake Mix- This is the base of the cake recipe.

    Ripe Bananas- These will make the cake sweeter and have a nice banana flavor.

    Banana Flavored Instant Pudding Mix- You only need the dry mix. Do not prepare the pudding. This pudding will give us a stronger banana flavor.

    Large Eggs- Use these to bind the batter together so that the cake doesn't turn out to crumbly.

    Vegetable Oil- Adding in vegetable oil will give the cake the fats necessary to remain moist.

    Vanilla Extract- A flavor enhancer.

    For the Filling, you will need:

    Banana Flavored Instant Pudding Mix- For a nice yellow filling packed with banana flavor.

    Milk- You will need whole milk as requested on the box of the instant pudding mix. Less fatty milks or dairy free milks may not set correctly.

    For the Frosting, you will need:

    Heavy Whipping Cream- Heavy cream will make our frosting very fluffy and easy to spread.

    Powdered Sugar- For added sweetness without changing the consistency of the frosting.

    Cream Cheese- This will give us a rich tangy frosting that pairs wonderfully with the sweet cake.

    Vanilla Extract- A flavor enhancer.

    Salt- A natural flavor enhancer. This will make the other flavors stand out better.

    For the Decorations, you will need:

    Nilla Wafer Cookies- This is optional but recommended for a nice garnish. I used my cookies as crumbs around the outside of the cake and as a topping.

    Ripe Bananas- Sliced ripe bananas as a garnish will help to accent the banana flavors within the cake.

    For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.

    🍽 Equipment Needed

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Parchment Paper
    • 2 9-inch Cake Pans
    • Whisk
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Electric Mixer
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Frosting bags

    🔪 Instructions

    Check out how to make southern banana pudding cake with these simple step-by-step instructions:

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

    greased and parchemnt lined round baking pans

    Cut some parchment paper into circles that can fit at the bottom of your 8 inch cake pans. Spray cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and lay the parchment circles inside. Spray again with cooking spray and set aside.

    mashed banana mixture in a mixing bowl

    In a large mixing bowl, blend the bananas with an electric mixer until creamy.

    mashed banana mixture and eggs in a mixing bowl

    Add in the cake mix, eggs, oil, dry pudding mix, and vanilla.

    banana cake batter in a mixing bowl

    Stir until well mixed. Do not overmix.

    two round cake pans filled with banana cake batter

    Divide the batter between your prepared cake pans.

    two baked rounds of banana cake in baking pans

    Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.

    Once the cakes have finished baking allow them to cool in the cake pans for about 10 minutes before flipping over onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

    Allow them to cool on the racks upside down and make sure to remove any parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.

    Once the cakes are completely cooled, flip them over onto a cutting board and level the tops with a large bread knife.

    Prepare the frosting

    powdered sugar and cream cheese in a mixing bowl

    In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and powdered sugar.

    sweetened cream cheese in a mixing bowl

    Cream together until just combined. Do not overmix.

    heavy cream in a bowl with a thick cream in a bowl to the side

    In another large mixing bowl, add cold heavy cream and vanilla.

    a bowl of thick mix and a bowl of whipped cream

    Beat until stiff peaks form.

    cream cheese mixture being added to whipped cream in a mixing bowl

    Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream.

    whipped fosting in a bowl

    Beat again until combined. Do not overmix.

    Prepare Filling

    Make one box of banana instant pudding according to the package directions.

    Assembly

    Place one topless cake layer in front of you and leave the other off to the side.

    aerial view of banana cake with a rim of frosting around the edge

    Place some frosting into a pastry bag or Ziploc baggie with a corner snipped off. Make a circle around the rim of the top.

    aerial view of cake with frosting around the rim and pudding in the center for filling

    Spoon in your cold and chilled pudding. Spread it around so that it fills the circle and is pretty even looking.

    stacked banana cake with frosting around the middle

    Stack the two cakes on top of each other by placing one on top of the pudding topped one.

    Try to get them to stand as straight as you can. If needed, place everything into the fridge to chill for one hour so it holds up better. You can also freeze the cake at this point and chill the frosting until ready to use.

    crumb layer on stacked banana cake

    When the cakes are stacked and sturdy, pipe the white frosting around the outside where the middles are and go around the cake with a flat leveler or surface (a wooden ruler works okay in a pinch).

    Angle it slightly so you're pressing into the cake while removing excess frosting. This should fill in any gaps so the cake is level on the sides.

    A first layer of frosting would be called a "crumb layer," and it is meant to be thin and to hold any loose crumbs in place. Let it chill at this point before adding another thicker layer of frosting if desired.

    frosted banana cake on a white cake stand

    Frost the entire cake with a nice thick layer of white frosting so that it is about ¼ inch thick and you can't see the cake poking through.

    Go over it again with your flat leveler as much as needed to get it to look as desired. Don't forget to level out the top.

    cookie crumbs pressed into the side of frosted banana cake

    Press broken cookie crumbs around the outside of the cake to cover the sides.

    Top the cake with sliced bananas and whole Nilla wafer cookies just before serving.

    I added some leftover salted caramel from my Salted Caramel Banana Pancakes as an additional garnish.

    Slice, serve, and enjoy!

    side view of banana pudding cake with caramel on top and cookie crumbs on the side

    🧾 Substitutions

    Cake Mix. If desired you can swap out the yellow cake mix for any other flavor. Chocolate or White cake mix would be my go-to favorite options.

    Pudding Mix. The banana flavored pudding mix adds a lot of delicious banana flavor into the cake but you can use vanilla pudding in a pinch. Remember that we only want the dry pudding mix inside of the box, not the pudding mix when assembled.

    📖 Variations

    ALTERNATIVE FROSTING RECIPE:

    1. In one bowl mix 1 box (3.4 ounces) cheesecake flavored instant pudding with 1 cup of milk. Let sit 5 minutes to set.
    2. Beat 1 quart of heavy cream until stiff peaks in a large bowl and then add in the pudding mix and beat again until combined.
    3. This frosting is pipeable and will remain stable/shape holding but will still need to be kept in the fridge for food safety reasons. (Any flavor instant pudding will work, but the white ones will show food coloring better).

    🍴 Recipe Tips

    If at any point you feel the cake needs added support because it's sliding around, you can use plastic drinking straws (about 2-4) of them in the center of the cake. Trim them to about ¼ inch shorter than the cake and insert them after the cake has been stacked, but before it's been frosted.

    This shouldn't be necessary with a simple 2 layer cake, but depending on how full you fill the layers, it could be a nice back-up plan if you plan to transport the cake anywhere.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Storage

    Fridge

    This cake will keep well for up to 3 or 4 days in the fridge. I recommend covering it in plastic wrap if you cannot keep it in a large airtight container.

    Freezer

    The cake or slices of cake can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before eating. Remember that the cookies will soften, and the frosting may sweat if the cake does from the freezer to room temp.

    This is normal and fine, but it may not look presentable so I don't recommend freezing a cake before showing it to guests (this is much better for leftovers where presentation doesn't matter).

    💭 FAQs

    What does putting pudding in cake mix do?

    Adding a box of pudding mix to a cake not only helps to strengthen the flavor but it also helps to add moisture to the cake so that it doesn't feel dry. This is thanks to the fats inside of the pudding mix.

    How long can I leave banana pudding cake with cream cheese frosting out?

    I do not recommend keeping this cake out of the fridge for more than 1-2 hours at a time. If the weather is 80F+ one hour is recommended, whereas colder temperatures may let the cake sit out for up to 2 hours. The cream cheese frosting and filling will soften and slide off of the cake after sitting out for too long in the heat, not to mention the food safety risks from letting it sit out.

    a slice of banana cake on a plate

    More great cake recipes to check out soon

    • Red White and Blue Poke Cake
    • Peaches and Cream Bundt Cake
    • Cake Mix Coffee Cake
    • Chocolate Pistachio Bundt Cake

    📖 Recipe

    close up of banana pudding cake with nilla wafers and banana slices
    Print Recipe
    4.80 from 5 votes

    Southern Banana Pudding Cake

    You are going to love this southern banana pudding cake. Made from a doctored-up boxed cake mix and filled with banana pudding before being covered in a homemade whipped cream cheese frosting.
    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Servings: 16 slices
    Calories: 353kcal
    Cost Recipe $9.16 / Serving $0.57
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Parchment Paper
    • 2 9-inch Cake Pans
    • Whisk
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Electric Mixer
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Frosting bags

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • 1 box Yellow Cake Mix ($1.24)
    • 4 Ripe Bananas ($1.00)
    • 1 box (3.4oz) Banana Flavored Instant Pudding Mix ($0.98)
    • 3 large Eggs ($0.24)
    • ¼ cup Vegetable Oil ($0.12)
    • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract ($0.04)

    Filling

    • 1 box (3.4oz) Banana Flavored Instant Pudding Mix ($0.98)
    • 2 cups Milk ($0.38)

    Frosting

    • 1 ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream ($1.24)
    • 1 cup Powdered Sugar ($0.23)
    • 8 ounce Cream Cheese, softened ($1.98)
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract ($0.04)
    • 1 pinch Salt ($0.02)

    Decorations

    • Nilla Wafer Cookies ($0.42)
    • Sliced Ripe Bananas ($0.25)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Cut some parchment paper into circles that can fit at the bottom of your 8 inch cake pans. Spray cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and lay the parchment circles inside. Spray again with cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl blend the bananas with an electric mixer until creamy.
    • Add in the cake mix, eggs, oil, dry pudding mix, and vanilla until well mixed. Do not overmix.
    • Divide the batter between your prepared cake pans.
    • Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
    • Once the cakes have finished baking allow them to cool in the cake pans for about 10 minutes before flipping over onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
    • Allow them to cool on the racks upside down and make sure to remove any parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.
    • Once the cakes are completely cooled, flip them over onto a cutting board and level the tops with a large bread knife.

    Prepare the frosting

    • In a large mixing bowl cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until just combined. Do not overmix.
    • In another large mixing bowl beat the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
    • Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream and beat again until combined. Do not overmix.

    Prepare Filling

    • Make one box of banana instant pudding according to the package directions.

    Assembly

    • Place one topless cake layer in front of you and leave the other off to the side.
    • Place some frosting into a pastry bag or Ziploc baggie with a corner snipped off.
    • Make a circle around the rim of the top.
    • Spoon in your cold and chilled pudding. Spread it around so that it fills the circle and is pretty even looking.
    • Stack the two cakes on top of each other by placing one on top of the pudding topped one.
    • Try to get them to stand as straight as you can. If needed, place everything into the fridge to chill for one hour so it holds up better. You can also freeze the cake at this point and chill the frosting until ready to use.
    • When the cakes are stacked and sturdy, pipe the white frosting around the outside where the middles are and go around the cake with a flat leveler or surface (a wooden ruler works okay in a pinch).
    • Angle it slightly so you're pressing into the cake while removing excess frosting. This should fill in any gaps so the cake is level on the sides.
    • A first layer of frosting would be called a "crumb layer" and it is meant to be thin and to hold any loose crumbs in place. Let it chill at this point before adding another thicker layer of frosting if desired.
    • Frost the entire cake with a nice thick layer of white frosting so that it is about ¼ inch thick and you can't see the cake poking through. Go over it again with your flat leveler as much as needed to get it to look as desired. Don't forget to level out the top.
    • Press broken cookie crumbs around the outside of the cake to cover the sides.
    • Top the cake with sliced bananas and whole Nilla wafer cookies just before serving.
    • I added some leftover salted caramel from my Salted Caramel Banana Pancakes as an additional garnish.
    • Slice, serve, and enjoy!

    Notes

    Over mixing the cream cheese mixture can result in the frosting not setting properly and becoming soupy. If this happens there's not much that can save it, unfortunately. If desired you can use the alternative frosting recipe below.
    ALTERNATIVE FROSTING RECIPE:
    • In one bowl mix 1 box (3.4 ounces) cheesecake flavored instant pudding with 1 cup of milk. Let sit 5 minutes to set.
    • Beat 1 quart of heavy cream until stiff peaks in a large bowl and then add in the pudding mix and beat again until combined.
    • This frosting is pipeable and will remain stable/shape holding but will still need to be kept in the fridge for food safety reasons. (Any flavor instant pudding will work  but the white ones will show food coloring better).

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 583IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kyle Boyd says

      September 16, 2022 at 7:11 pm

      I am so going to make this cake....I'll send pics soon.

      Reply
    2. Tori says

      August 26, 2023 at 8:44 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this cake today for my brothers bday. Everyone loved it. I added chopped up banana into the pudding before I layered the cake. I will definitely make this again. It was a hit!!!

      Reply

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