Birthday Cake Club: Banana Pudding Cake

Layer upon layer of vanilla sponge, pastry cream, bananas, and homemade vanilla wafers.

Hi Bakers!

You might be wondering where the apple or pumpkin spice are in this recipe - it’s September after all! But this Banana Pudding Cake is an fresh take on the world-famous dessert that should be celebrated all year round.

I’ve paired the softest sponge cake with velvety vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, and cream cheese-enhanced whipped cream. So in a sea of PSLs, be the pudding and make this cake! 

If you followed the cupcake craze in NYC of the early 2000’s, then you probably have your own memories of Magnolia Bakery. Mine are of the times my mom and I would visit while I was in college and the years after when I first fell in love with baking.

However, this newsletter is not about cupcakes or that story. 

This is a tale about life altering banana pudding. 

The last time I was in New York was for the release of my cookbook, Icing on the Cake. We arrived in the blistering cold, having just crashed at our East Village apartment, and were trying to sleep-train a 5 month old. 

As I prepared for the book events and my husband set up a pack-n-play for the baby, my brother ran out to get us Magnolia Bakery banana pudding. Sold in tubs around Manhattan, the pudding is studded with cookies and banana slices. Seeking some comfort, I devoured the world-famous dessert.

Cut to a few years later, and I made the same brother a giant banana pudding for his birthday. I’m talking about a vat of pudding, layers of fresh banana, and loads of whipped cream served from a glass ice bucket. 

As much as I love Magnolia’s banana pudding, and trust me I do, I was surprised that the official recipe calls for boxed pudding mix. Sure there is a time and place for packaged ingredients, but I was inspired to make a from-scratch version. Likewise, Nilla Wafers are actually pretty difficult to find in my city, so I’ve made those myself too.

Not gonna lie, banana pudding can be a bit heavy. Its ultra creamy texture is undoubtedly cozy and delicious, but usually in smaller doses. This cake version means you still get all that pudding and banana lusciousness along with the lightest sponge cake.  

The base of the cake is my favorite hot milk sponge cake. Using whole eggs, baking powder for lift insurance, and without tricky folding, it is arguably the easiest sponge cake to make too. I love how soft it is even after spending time in the refrigerator (which you will do with this cream-filled cake). 

You will love the rich, silky pastry cream. By pressing the vanilla wafer cookies into the pastry cream, they will soften in the refrigerator - just like in the original pudding recipe. A bit of smooth cream cheese bulks up the whipped cream while adding a bit of tartness and stability. Choose ripe bananas that are sweet and flavorful but not mushy.