Banana Pudding Bundt Cake - Recipe from Scratch

      This cake offers a unique take on the beloved dessert that is well-known among Southerners. It incorporates all the elements of banana pudding—from the vanilla wafer crumbs in the batter to an extra helping of fresh banana in the filling, topped with sweet whipped cream. It’s so delightful that you might not return to the original version.

      Yields 1 (10-cup) Bundt cake

      - 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened

      - 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

      - ½ cup (110 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar

      - 3 large eggs (150 grams), at room temperature

      - 1 tablespoon (18 grams) vanilla bean paste

      - 2½ cups (313 grams) all-purpose flour

      - 1½ cups (159 grams) finely ground vanilla wafers

      - 1½ teaspoons (4.5 grams) kosher salt

      - 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder

      - 1½ cups (360 grams) whole buttermilk, at room temperature

      - Banana Crème Mousseline (recipe below)

      - 2 large ripe bananas (308 grams), sliced crosswise into ¼-inch thick pieces

      - Vanilla Whipped Cream (recipe below)

      - Garnish: banana slices, vanilla wafers

      Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes; make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla bean paste.

      In a large bowl, whisk the flour, ground wafers, salt, and baking powder together. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined after each addition.

      Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with baking spray that includes flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Tap the pan firmly on a kitchen towel-lined countertop several times to settle the batter.

      Bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean, which should take about 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes; cover with foil halfway through baking to prevent over-browning. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

      Once cooled, use a serrated knife to cut the cake in half horizontally. Carefully remove the top half with a cake lifter or cake board and set it aside. Use a small spoon to carve out a trench in the bottom half of the cake, about 1½ inches wide and 1 inch deep. (You can reserve the cake crumbs for garnish if you like; see note.)

      Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star piping tip (Ateco #826) with Banana Crème Mousseline. Pipe the filling into the trench and on the bottom half of the cake as desired, then add banana slices on top. Place the reserved top half of the cake over the filling and bananas.

      In a pastry bag fitted with a large star piping tip (Ateco #826), place the Vanilla Whipped Cream. Pipe it onto the top half of the cake as desired. Garnish with cake crumbs, banana slices, and vanilla wafers, if you choose. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

      Note: To toast cake crumbs for garnish, bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 325°F (170°C) for 10 to 15 minutes.

      Let us know how it turned out!

      **Banana Crème Mousseline**

      Yields 4 cups

      - 2 cups (308 grams) chopped ripe bananas

      - 2½ cups (600 grams) whole milk

      - ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

      - 7 tablespoons (56 grams) cornstarch

      - ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt

      - 4 large egg yolks (74 grams)

      - ½ cup (113 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and divided

      - 2 teaspoons (12 grams) vanilla bean paste

      In a medium bowl, combine the bananas and milk, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Strain the milk into a medium saucepan, discarding the solids. Heat the milk over medium heat until it's steaming (do not let it boil).

      In another medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Then, whisk in the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth. Gradually mix