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This banana pudding cake recipe has three layers of soft vanilla cake, homemade pastry cream filling, brown butter cookie crumble, and the most luscious whipped mascarpone frosting that’ll have everybody going back for another slice. Banana pudding is already perfect on its own, but turning it into a layer cake? Whew. We’re talking all the nostalgia of the beloved Southern dessert, but with a bakery-style spin.
Banana pudding is one of those desserts that I will go out of my way for. The creamy pudding, soft cookies, fresh bananas, and fluffy whipped cream? Yes, I want it all. After I saw how much y’all loved my classic banana pudding recipe, I had to take all that creamy banana goodness and turn it into cake. And honestly, it exceeded every expectation I had.
The Best Banana Pudding Cake Recipe
This banana pudding cake has everything we love about classic banana pudding, but in cake form. This stunner even made my banana-hating father ask for another piece. It has soft vanilla cake layers, creamy homemade pudding filling, fresh bananas, a mascarpone whipped cream frosting, and a brown butter cookie crumble that added the perfect crunch!
She looks fancy, but every part is simple and so worth it – especially once you slice into those creamy, cookie-filled layers. And I do not say this lightly: this just might be the best cake recipe to come out of my kitchen.
Table of contents
Banana Pudding Cake Recipe Highlights
⇢ First, let’s get into a few reasons why you’ll love this cake:
Everything from Scratch: No yellow cake mix, boxed pudding mixture, or shortcuts here. We’re making everything the old fashioned way for that real deal banana flavor. Simple ingredients are often the best!
Brown Butter Cookie Crumble: Instead of using plain vanilla wafer cookies, we’re tossing them with nutty brown butter and brown sugar. It adds a deeper, toastier flavor and gives the cake a little texture between those creamy layers.
The perfect dessert! This cake looks like she came from a fancy bakery, but every part is simple and doable. It’s perfect for birthdays, holidays, Sunday dinner, family gatherings, or anytime you want to show up with a dessert that’ll be a big hit *flex*.
For more banana desserts, make my banana pudding cheesecake and banana bread cinnamon rolls!
What You’ll Need
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Cake flour: Cake flour keeps the vanilla cake layers soft, tender, and light. Since this cake has creamy fillings and frosting, a plush cake layer really helps everything melt together without feeling heavy.
- Whole milk, heavy cream, and sour cream: This trio gives the cake moisture, richness, and a soft crumb. The sour cream adds tenderness without making the cake taste tangy.
- Bananas should be ripe but firm. You want bananas that are sweet and flavorful, but not mushy. Avoid overripe bananas and save those for my pecan banana bread instead!
- Milk powder: Milk powder adds a little extra richness to the pastry cream and gives it that creamy, nostalgic flavor without using boxed pudding mix.
- Mascarpone and cream cheese: These help stabilize the whipped cream frosting while keeping it light and creamy. The mascarpone gives the frosting a smooth, bakery-style finish, while the cream cheese adds just enough tang to balance the sweetness.
How To Make Banana Pudding Cake
Step 1: Make the vanilla pudding AKA pastry cream filling. Warm whole milk, then slowly whisk it into the egg yolk, sugar, milk powder, and cornstarch mixture. Cook until thick and pudding-like, then whisk in butter, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Chill until completely cold and set.
Step 2: Prepare and bake the cake layers. Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans, then make the cake batter by creaming the room temperature butter, vegetable oil, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or electric mixer) until fluffy. Mix in the eggs, egg whites, vanilla extract, dry ingredients, milk, cream, and sour cream until smooth.
Step 3: Cool the cakes completely. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake until the centers are set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pans briefly, then transfer to a wire rack and cover with plastic wrap to lock in moisture.
Step 4: Make the brown butter cookie crumble. Brown the butter until golden and nutty, then toss it with crushed Chessman cookies and brown sugar until crumbly. This adds that buttery banana pudding cookie flavor with a little extra depth.
Step 5: Whip the mascarpone cream frosting. Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until thickened, then add mascarpone and cream cheese. Continue whipping on medium speed until the frosting is smooth, creamy, and holds stiff peaks.
Step 6: Assemble and decorate the banana pudding cake. Layer the cakes with whipped cream frosting, pastry cream, fresh banana slices, and brown butter cookie crumble. Chill briefly to set, then frost the outside and finish with extra pastry cream, fresh bananas, and cookie crumble on top of the cake.
Pro Baking Tips
- Don’t overcook the homemade banana pudding filling. Once it thickens, remove from heat to prevent the pudding mixture from becoming grainy.
- Don’t overmix the cake batter. Once you start adding the flour, mix just until everything comes together. This ensures a tender cake that’s fluffy and soft.
- If you’re adding fresh banana slices on top, lightly brush them with a little lemon juice to help slow browning, then pat them dry before decorating.
- Chill the cake before the final coat of frosting. After stacking the layers, give the cake a quick chill so everything can settle. This makes it much easier to frost and helps keep those creamy layers in place.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Even with all those creamy layers, this cake holds together beautifully when chilled. The pastry cream sets up thick, the mascarpone whipped cream is stable, and the cake layers stay soft without getting soggy.
Yes, this cake is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
More Incredible Cake Recipes
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Banana Pudding Cake
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (or hand mixer)
Ingredients
Pastry Cream Filling Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (420 g) Whole Milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp Milk Powder, (optional, but highly recommended)
- 3 (54 g) Egg Yolks
- 1/3 cup (66 g) Sugar
- 4 tbsp Cornstarch
- 3 tbsp Salted Butter
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste , (or vanilla extract)
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
Vanilla Cake
- 3 cups (375 g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup (112 g) Vegetable Oil
- 2 1/4 cups (450 g) Sugar
- 3 large (150 g) Eggs
- 3 (90 g) Egg Whites
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste, (or vanilla extract)
- 3/4 cup (180 g) Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup (60 g) Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Sour Cream
- 2-3 Bananas
Brown Butter Cookie Crumble
- 16 Chessman Cookies, (you can also use Nilla wafers)
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter
- 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting
- 2 1/2 cups (600 g) Heavy Cream
- 3 1/2 cups (438 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste , (or vanilla extract)
- 16 oz Mascarpone , (cold)
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, (room temperature)
Instructions
Pastry Cream Instructions
- Start by making the pastry cream filling. In a medium saucepan, heat whole milk over low heat for about 5 minutes, until just warm (do not bring to a boil).
- In a large bowl, whisk together, egg yolks (save the egg whites for the cake), milk powder, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth and pale, about 30 seconds. Slowly pour warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking (pour slowly so you don’t scramble the eggs). Pour everything back into the saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (like pudding), about 8-12 minutes. Once the mixture begins to bubble and you can see ribbons while whisking, begin to whisk vigorously for 1 minute. It should be a thick pudding-like consistency and should coat the back of the spoon without running off. Add butter and vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract), nutmeg, and kosher salt and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it from developing a film while cooling. Chill in the refrigerator until completely cold and set, about 2-3 hours.
Prepare the Cake Batter
- Now let’s make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 3 8-inch pans with melted butter, then dust with flour, ensuring the entire pan is coated. (you can also use nonstick baking spray but I've found that brushing the pans and coating with flour is most reliable and prevents the outside of the cake from browning too much)
- In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Set aside. Add room temperature butter, vegetable oil, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until smooth and fluffy, also slightly lightened in color (should be a pale yellow).
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce mixer speed to low and begin adding eggs, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Then add all of the egg whites and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. It'll take about 1 minute for the egg whites to become fully incorporated into the butter mixture so be patient. Add in vanilla bean paste (or extract) and mix to combine, about 15 seconds.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds. Then add in whole milk, heavy cream, and sour cream. Continue to mix until combined, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, ensuring that all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Divide batter equally among the 3 prepared cake pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely. (this traps in steam and keeps the cake super moist) While the cakes cool, make the brown butter cookie crumble and whipped cream frosting.
Make the Brown Butter Cookie Crumble
- While the cakes are cooling, make the brown butter cookie crumble. Melt butter in a skillet and cook it until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat and add crushed chessman cookies. Toss together and then add brown sugar and continue to mix until combined and crumbly.
Whip together the Whipped Cream Frosting
- Lastly, make the mascarpone whipped cream frosting. Add heavy cream, vanilla bean paste, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on low speed for about 1 minute, gradually increasing to medium-high speed. Mix for 2-3 minutes, until the cream begins to thicken (soft peaks), then add mascarpone and cream cheese. Continue to mix until stiff peaks are reached, about 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the Cake
- Remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator – it should be firm. Add to a mixing bowl and use a whisk or hand mixer to mix together and fluff it up until smooth. Place one of the cooled cakes onto a cake stand.
- Fill a pastry bag with frosting. Add a generous layer of whipped cream frosting on top of the cake, then pipe a border around the perimeter of the cake. Add about ⅓ of the pastry cream into the cake and add bananas and a sprinkle of the cookie crumble on top. Repeat with the second layer. Place the third layer on top and cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting.
- Place into the refrigerator to set for 30 minutes. Add the remaining frosting to the cake, optionally piping little mounds on top of the cake and adding the remaining pastry cream into the cake of the top of the cake. Top with more bananas and remaining brown butter crumble.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
