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Banana Pudding Cake

By Britney
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 2 hours
Servings: 20
banana pudding cake on a cake stand with the cake cut open to see the inside layers.
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The ultimate banana pudding cake is with a soft vanilla cake, pastry cream, fresh bananas, brown butter cookie crumble, and whipped cream frosting.

Equipment

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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

Calories: 736kcal, Carbohydrates: 76g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 159mg, Sodium: 361mg, Potassium: 200mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 56g, Vitamin A: 1393IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 164mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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