Banana Pudding Cake – doctored up cake mix with real bananas, topped with vanilla pudding, sliced bananas, whipped cream, and vanilla wafer crumbs. All the flavor of banana cream pie in cake form!

Anyone else a big fan of poke cakes? I love them because they are never, ever dry. I’ve loved traditional jello poke cakes since I was a kid, and this Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Poke Cake makes me swoon!

Banana Pudding Cake

Banana cream pie and poke cake are both delicious treats. This recipe combines both of them into one spectacular dessert! You start with a cake mix, but no one will ever guess.

Five layers of flavor and texture make this cake unbelievably delicious. Tender cake, pudding, whipped cream, bananas, and crunch vanilla wafers all in one bite? Oh yes please!

I like this cake best with vanilla pudding, but if your family loves banana pudding, you can definitely use that instead. Either way, this dessert is sure to be a hit!

How to make Banana Poke Cake:

Ingredients:

yellow cake mix
baking powder
baking soda
bananas
water
oil
eggs
instant vanilla pudding
milk
vanilla wafers
heavy cream
powdered sugar
vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all cake ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a greased 9×13″ cake pan. (I use cooking spray.)

Bake cake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely, then use a round spoon handle to poke holes all over the cake about an inch apart.

Combine pudding mix and milk and whisk for 2 minutes. Quickly pour pudding mixture over the top of the cake. Get as much pudding into the holes as you can.Cover cake with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Place vanilla wafers in a bag and crush with a rolling pin. Set aside. Whip cream with a hand mixer till soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat till well mixed.

To serve, cut cake into slices. Top with sliced bananas, whipped cream, and crushed vanilla wafers.

Just look at all those luscious layers. Don’t you want to dig in? I know I do!

Tips for making the Best Banana Pudding Cake:

Make sure you use overripe bananas in the cake batter, but firm bananas for the topping.
Give the cake a few hours to chill so the pudding sets up and the flavors blend.
Use fresh whipped cream, it tastes so much better than whipped topping.
For prettier presentation, cut the cake into slices after the pudding is set. Add remaining toppings to each piece.

Questions about making Banana Pudding Cake:

Can I use something in place of Nilla Wafers? Yes, you can use pecan sandies, shortbread cookies, or even graham cracker crumbs if you prefer.

How do I store leftover banana pudding poke cake: If you don’t plan on eating the cake all in one sitting, I recommend cutting it into slices with just the pudding on top and adding the banana slices, whipped cream, and vanilla wafer crumbs to each piece individually. The cake and pudding will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days if covered tightly

Can I freeze Banana Pudding Cake? If you want to make it well ahead of time and freeze it, I recommend just freezing the cake. When you want to serve it, let it thaw and poke holes in it, then proceed with the rest of the instructions.

What can I use instead of cream? I really recommend using fresh whipped cream, but you can get by with Cool Whip or even Dream Whip.

Love banana? Make sure you check out these yummy banana recipes: