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Banana Cake with white cake mix is the perfect answer to too many bananas! It’s soft, moist, full of banana flavor and topped with a light whipped cream frosting. Thanks to a cake mix it’s easy to make!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Tired of making banana bread with your ripe bananas? This banana cake with white cake mix is the answer!
One day I ended up with ten pounds of ripe bananas on my kitchen counter, don’t ask! After a couple of loaves of banana bread I decided I needed to try a banana cake. My friend Dawn must have been reading my mind because in the email, that day, she sent me photos of a banana cake she had just made, she said it was the best banana cake ever. Along with the photos was the recipe too. She didn’t just stop there though, she showed up at my door with a piece of that yummy banana cake. Love you Dawn!
The cake is a great thing to make if you have a lot of ripe bananas because it uses about 7 ripe bananas!
Ingredients Needed
- Bananas, ripe. They will be used in the cake and the filling.
- White Cake Mix. I prefer Duncan Hines
- Oil. I use vegetable oil or canola oil. Use a mild flavored oil.
- Eggs
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Banana Cream Pudding. Cook and serve, NOT instant.
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Candied Pecans. You can also use chopped walnuts and candy those if you prefer.
How to Make Banana Cake
- Mix all ingredients for cake except bananas for 2 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed.
- Add bananas and blend well.
- Bake in greased & floured round cake pans, following baking recommendations on box or until a toothpick comes out clean. (3 six inch pans, 2 eight inch pans or 1 9×13 inch pan)
- Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
- Whip whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until a medium stiff peak forms.
- Make pudding according to package directions and cool. No matter, how many layers you have, you will end up with extra pudding. Just put it in the fridge and enjoy later.
- Put a layer of pudding between each cake layer, add a layer of sliced bananas. Repeat with remaining layers. Put in the fridge or freezer to set up and chill.
- Prepare whipped cream frosting and frost the chilled cake.
- Sprinkle top and sides with sugared pecans.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips
- You can buy candied or sugared pecans at the store or make your own sugared pecans.
- For all my tips and tricks for the best way to slice or cut a cake, check out this post.
- Filling the cake layers with the pudding mixture can be a bit messy, don’t worry if some of it squeezes out over the sides of the cake.
- After putting the layers together I placed the cake in the freezer for a while to let it firm up a bit, it makes it easier to frost.
- Cake freezes well. Wrap in any leftover cake in plastic wrap or an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before eating. I also love to eat cake cold!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ripen bananas quickly?
Oven Method:
Oven Method:
Put an unpeeled bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake them in a 300 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, or until the banana skins turn completely black all over.
Allow to cool, remove banana from the peel and mash it for your recipe.
Microwave:
This method will soften the banana but it doesn’t sweeten it, you may need to add some extra sugar. This method works better with partially ripened fruit rather than fully green bananas.
Peel the bananas and place them on a microwave-safe plate or bowl. Heat them on high just until they start to sizzle, about 30 seconds.
Do I need to refrigerate banana cake?
Because of the whipped cream frosting this cake should be kept in the refrigerator. You can bring it to room temperature to serve, or serve chilled. It will not hold up well in the heat.
What size pan should I use?
The cake in the photos is made with 3 six inch cake pans. You can also use 2 eight inch cake pans or a 9 x 13 inch pan. Follow the baking time on the bake of the cake mix box.
Can I use a cream cheese frosting instead?
If you prefer a cream cheese frosting use the recipe in this post.
Check out more of our other favorite banana recipes:
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Banana Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 bananas ripe and mashed
- 1 white cake mix prefer Duncan Hines
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3 whole eggs
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
Filling:
- 1 5.9 oz. banana cream pudding cook and serve, not instant (make ahead and cool)
- 3 bananas ripe and sliced
Frosting
- 1 pint whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup candied pecans chopped
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients for cake except bananas for 2 minutes, medium speed
- Add bananas and blend well
- Bake in 2 or 3 greased & floured round cake pans, following baking recommendations on box
- I think about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on racks
- Whip whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until a medium stiff peak forms.
Filling:
- Make pudding according to package directions and cool.
- Put a layer of pudding between each cake layer, add a layer of sliced bananas. Repeat with remaining layers. Put in the fridge to set up and chill.
- Prepare whipped cream frosting and frost the chilled cake.
- Sprinkle top and sides with sugared pecans.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips & Notes:
- If using 8 inch cake pans cut each layer in half so you have four layers.
- You can also make it in a 9 x 13″ pan. Follow baking time listed on back of cake box.
- No matter, how many layers you have, you will end up with extra pudding. Just put it in the fridge and enjoy later.
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Nutrition Facts:
Valerie H. says
Thanks Dawn and Leigh Anne. This looks so good!
Jennifer says
Yum! I just might have to try this next weekend. I love anything with bananas in it!
Paula says
Yummy!
I usually make banana bread with my over-ripe bananas too. I think my family actually leaves the bananas, on purpose, because they know when I see them they get bread!
I can’t wait to try the cake 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Judith Poulos says
This looks SO GOOD!! And I have some very ripe bananas just sitting here. Looks like I will be baking today.
Jelli says
This looks yummy! I might try it with cream cheese frosting.