Southern Banana Pudding Cake
A legendary Southern-style poke cake featuring a brown butter yellow cake base filled with creamy banana pudding and finished with a fluffy whipped topping and crunchy vanilla wafers.
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Whisk
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil and water (per package directions)
- 2 3.4 ounce packages instant banana pudding
- 4 cups cold milk (whole or 2% preferred)
- 8 ounce tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 20 vanilla wafers, crushed
Instructions
Brown Butter Infusion and bake the base
- Start by browning the butter that will replace the oil in your cake mix. Melt it over medium heat until it foams, then turns golden with tiny brown specks and smells like toasted hazelnuts, then let it cool so it is warm, not hot.
- Prepare 1 box yellow cake mix with ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil and water (per package directions), using your cooled brown butter in place of the oil. Bake it as directed for a 9x13-inch cake until golden.
Cool, poke, and set the pudding in place
- When the cake comes out, let it cool for just a couple of minutes until it reaches about 100 degrees F (38 degrees C). It should feel warm to the touch, but not steaming hot.
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke wide holes straight down to the bottom of the cake. Make the holes wide rather than dainty to ensure the pudding can flow through.
- Whisk together 2 3.4 ounce packages instant banana pudding with 4 cups cold milk until smooth. Let it rest 1 to 2 minutes so it thickens slightly while remaining fluid enough to pour.
- Pour the pudding over the cake, aiming right into the holes as much as possible. Use the back of a spoon to gently nudge pudding down and smooth the top so it looks glossy and even.
Chill, finish, and serve with crunch
- Refrigerate the cake for about 2 hours so the pudding sets and the crumb hydrates into that signature ultra-moist bite.
- Once completely cooled, spread on the 8 ounce tub of thawed frozen whipped topping, making soft swoops across the surface.
- Right before serving, sprinkle 20 crushed vanilla wafers on top. Keep refrigerated so the layers stay clean and chilled.
Notes
Storage Tip: Store the pan airtight in the refrigerator to prevent the cake from picking up other odors and ensure the dairy components stay fresh.
Texture Secret: To maintain the best crunch, wait to add the crushed vanilla wafers until just seconds before you serve the cake.
Party Tip: If the cake will be sitting out, adding a spoonful of powdered sugar to the whipped topping can help it stay stable and fluffy longer.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.