Banana Cream Cake – Light and fluffy white cake layers with banana cream filling, toasted graham crackers, whipped cream and salted caramel.
Inspiration
My Banana Cream Cake is inspired by the popular Magnolia Bakery banana cream pudding and stacked like my favorite Milk Bar Cakes. If you’ve had Magnolia Bakery’s banana cream pie, you probably dream about it often like I do! It’s one of my favorite New York City treats.
I first developed this recipe for my nephew’s birthday a few years ago. As I was coming up with the cake, and thinking about all the flavors and textures I wanted to add to it, I knew it needed to be stacked like a Milk Bar cake. (If you’re not familiar with Milk Bar, I highly recommend you check out their website and even buy their cookbook. There are so many amazing, unique recipes.)
There’s a couple reasons I choose to stack a cake Milk Bar style. The first being that it has a lot of elements in it (like my Tonight Show Cake) and the acetate paper will better support the cake. The second being that it has softer fillings that won’t hold up as well with a coat of frosting around them.
Milk Soak
Another Milk Bar inspired element of this cake is the banana milk soak. Adding a little extra moisture to a naked cake is never a bad idea since these types of cakes don’t have a layer of frosting to protest the cake from drying out. And more importantly, this step adds even more flavor to the cake. You can’t go wrong with a soak!
Also layered in this cake: toasted graham cracker crumbs, salted caramel, and fresh whipped cream. Basically heaven in a cake. You can also add in fresh sliced bananas if you plan to serve the cake that same day.
Oh, and one little note about serving this beauty – serve it cold, or things will get pretty messy when you’re cutting the cake.
Enjoy!
This sounds amazing! I’m a big fan of your work so when I saw that you had a blog & shared your recipes; and even more exciting for me, your thought process behind flavor creations!
I was wondering if you have a favorite vanilla/white cake? Or if it typically depends on the type of cake you’re building? Forgive me if you’ve mentioned it in a previous post, I’m so excited I couldn’t wait to ask 😉
I’m also super excited to try your Red Velvet recipe! I have had the emulsion but I haven’t had a chance to use it.
Thanks for sharing so much! Adore your work and style!
Thank you! I love the vanilla cake I used in my Marshmallow Moon cake. It’s tender and flavorful. To make three 8-inch cake layers with that recipe, just double it.
Hello! I would like to know what type of cream should be used to make the salted caramel. Thank you.
I use heavy whipping cream.
Hi! I love your recipes, and this one called my attention right away!
I wanted to know what to do if banana pudding mix isn’t available (it doesn’t exist where i live). Can i replace it with anything else?
Best wishes and keep up the great baking!
You can actually make homemade pudding and use banana flavoring. I’m sure Pinterest or Google has a good recipe.
In your cake recipe you don’t mention how much vanilla to add but it’s in the instructions
Thanks for catching that. 1 tsp
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I’m excited to put it all together. Can you clarify how much is 1.5oz of pudding mix? I bought 170g box.
It’s half of one of the small boxes of pudding.
Where in store would I find an acetate sheet like you used? This sounds like it’d be great for my kids’ birthday party in a couple of weeks.
The only store locally here in Utah that carries acetate strips is Orson Gygi. If you aren’t local, your best bet it amazon.
when do you remove the acetate sheet liner from the cake….after freezing it for 12 hours or do you wait until another 4-5 hours or right before serving the cake?
I do it right before serving.
I want to make this cake using cake pans, would that work? And do you think I could frost it with a buttercream? I’m just worried that the whipped cream layer would make it unstable because I don’t think I could freeze it with the buttercream, or could I?
Is freezing the cake whole necessary for stability? Flavor?
It’s for stability.
Hello
In your salted caramel ingredients you don’t list vinegar but in the directions you state add salt and vinegar how much vinegar is needed
Thank you
That’s a typo – no vinegar at all.
Hi!! Ok just to clarify… the recipe says to use a half sheet pan sized tray for the cake but the video shows you’ve used a quarter sized sheet pan. Help!! Which is it? I think my layers are too shallow… A half sheet pan is 18×13 inches.
Sorry for the confusion. Use a quarter sheet pan.
Hi there! Just a suggestion that you fix the instructions under “for the white cake” to say quarter sheet pan, not half. I just followed the directions and was so discouraged when my cake was so flat and I thought it didn’t rise. Turns out, I just did it in the wrong size pan. (I’m still SO excited to eat this cake even tough the cake layers will be thin!) I’m just about to assemble it. Do I not put a cake board under the cake ring? I’m so confused about that part.
I’m so sorry. It should say quarter sheet pan. Just double up on the layers since you’ll have extra cake. And theres no cake board under the cake ring. Just parchment paper!
Just wanted to tell you that I made this cake 6 days ago, my family and I ate it, and for the last six days I’ve thought about it and missed it! Haha! It was SO SO SO GOOD that I think about it day and night:). I’ve loved so many of your cakes but this is my new favorite! AMAZING!
Can this white cake recipe be used for a regular layered cake?
Yes or you can use my classic white cake recipe.
Hi there! Can you use cake pans with this and not a sheet pan?
Yes you just need to double the recipe.
Another great recipe. It looks like a lot of steps but the recipe was easy to follow. The cake was super well balanced too and not too sweet. It got rave reviews at work.
So glad you liked it!
Hi. The cake was delish! Your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons banana pudding mix and 1/2 cup milk. But the mixture forms into a pudding so quickly (before you can add it to all three layers). How can I add the banana-flavored milk soak so it doesn’t turn into pudding?Thoughts/suggestions?
Just reduce the pudding mix by one tbsp!
This cake is the bomb!!! I’ve made it now for two different parties, and everyone LOVED it! So tasty, perfectly balanced in flavor and texture…. cant say enough… MMmm MMmmmmmm MMMmmmmmmm! Thank you so much for sharing! Would LOVE to see more of these stacked style cakes (:
Is the pudding mix size supposed to be 5.1 ounces? The only size box I can find is 5.1 oz. or 3.4 unless it’s sugar free.
You need to measure out 1.5 oz from a box.
Super excited to try this recipe for my dad’s 60th! Is the freezing step absolutely necessary or would putting it in the fridge suffice? Also, if I need to make the cake a day in advance should I forgo the fresh banana slices?
Yes you have to freeze it. And one day shouldn’t affect the bananas that much.
I made this cake just yesterday and it was great! I made a few modifications, though, simply because I didn’t have certain tools on hand. First, I decided to use nilla wafers instead of graham crackers because they were a third of the cost at my grocery store. I am sure that graham crackers add a different dimension of flavor, but honestly, toasted nilla wafers were really yummy too. Second, I am actually not a super experienced baker (I am just really good at following directions) so I do not own a cake ring. This made it a bit harder to assemble my cake, and also resulted in me not being able to use as heavy of a hand when dolloping on the various layers. Further, because the caramel began to run along the sides, I decided to crumb coat the cake with the leftover whipped cream and banana pudding cream. I actually ended up combining the two and added in a few more tablespoons of pudding mix to stabilize the whipped cream enough to not only frost it, but also pipe florets on its entirety (without needing to make extra whipped cream). All in all, it turned out great. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that this cake is frozen, so you have to thaw before serving, which isn’t ideal when it’s a cake that is not meant for a special occasion and will likely be eaten in one sitting. My family and I have just been eating the cake frozen and its still great, the white cake is just a bit dry. Quick question: how long can this cake be stored in the freezer if it is never fully thawed?
If wrapped properly it can be in there for a month!