Banana Pudding Pound Cake

Our banana pudding pound cake has all the ease of a snacking cake with the “I’ve arrived” air of a celebratory layer cake. A blend of mashed bananas and instant banana cream pudding gives it that traditional banana pudding flavor and adds a wonderfully tender, plush texture to the buttery pound cake.

Once the Bundt cake is out of its fluted tube pan and has cooled to room temperature, you’ll drizzle a generous amount of glaze on top. Finally, I love adding vanilla wafers and banana slices as a decoration. They’re optional, but they seal the cake’s destiny as a fun banana pudding variation.

Banana Pudding Pound Cake Ingredients

• Yellow cake mix: This recipe keeps things super easy by starting with a yellow cake mix. We recommend buying the best yellow cake mix from the store for a rich, buttery flavor and a tender crumb.
• Instant banana pudding: A lot of the banana pudding flavor comes from one package of instant banana pudding mix. This also gives the cake a wonderfully tender texture. Win-win!
• Bananas: You’ll need two mashed bananas for this recipe. The riper the bananas are, the sweeter they’ll taste—just don’t use anything moldy.
• Eggs: Bring the eggs to room temperature so they emulsify more readily into the batter, giving the cake more volume and a better crumb structure. Take the eggs out of the fridge about 30 to 60 minutes ahead of time.
• Canola oil: Canola oil provides richness to the cake’s crumb. You can use melted butter, but butter resolidifies at room temperature, which will make the cake a little tougher. Canola oil is liquid at room temperature, so the cake stays softer for longer.
• Glaze: Our banana pudding pound cake is finished with a quick glaze made from confectioners’ sugar, butter and whole milk. Feel free to add vanilla or banana extract to boost the flavor.
• Toppings: They’re not necessary, but vanilla wafers and banana slices make adorable toppings and hint at the flavor of the cake before anyone even tries it.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cake batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the yellow cake mix, instant banana cream pudding mix, bananas, eggs, water and canola oil on low speed for 30 seconds. Bump up the speed to medium and continue beating the batter for two minutes.

Step 2: Bake the cake

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch fluted tube pan. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the Bundt pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Editor’s Tip: Make sure your cake is completely cooled before decorating it, or the glaze will melt into the cake and make a sticky, syrupy mess.

Step 3: Decorate the cake

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, softened butter and just enough whole milk to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cake, then garnish it with vanilla wafers and banana slices as desired.

Editor’s Tip: To prevent the banana slices from turning brown, squeeze lemon juice on them before placing them on the cake. You could also use banana chips.

Recipe Variations

• Add a filling: One of my favorite things to do to a Bundt cake is slice it in half, pipe on a filling, and place the other half back on top. We do it in our layered strawberry Bundt cake recipe, and it adds so much more dimension and flavor. I recommend making instant banana pudding and folding it with whipped cream until it reaches a pipeable consistency.
• Decorate it with frosting: Instead of a glaze, finish the cake with a vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting for a sweeter, more picture-perfect finish. You can spread it on top with a mini offset spatula, but using a piping bag and tip makes it more interesting.
• Add mix-ins: Before pouring the batter into the Bundt pan, feel free to fold in chocolate chips, toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts, or handfuls of fruit like strawberries or blueberries.

How to Store Banana Pudding Pound Cake

Store leftover banana pudding pound cake covered in the fridge for up to three days. I like to microwave slices for 10 seconds to take the chill off and reheat them slightly. The cake’s crumb will dry out slightly in the fridge over time, but it must be refrigerated because of the pudding.

Can you freeze banana pudding pound cake?

Yes, you can freeze banana pudding pound cake, but do it before adding the glaze. Allow the baked cake to cool completely to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in storage wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze it for up to two months, then thaw it overnight in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve it, add the glaze and any decorative toppings.

Banana Pudding Pound Cake Tips

What should I do if my Bundt cake won’t release from the pan?

If you’re having a hard time getting your Bundt cake out of the pan, run a spatula or butter knife around the edges to help release it. Fill a Dutch oven or stockpot with hot water, then dip your cake pan into the water. This heats up the sugars and fats in the cake, which will unstick from the pan. After about 30 seconds, invert the cake onto a wire rack. Ta-da!

In the future, try our favorite Bundt cake steam trick. After baking the cake in a greased Bundt pan, remove it from the oven, immediately cover it with aluminum foil and let it sit for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, invert the cake and voila! A perfectly released cake from the Bundt pan.

How can I ripen bananas quickly?

To ripen bananas quickly, place unpeeled bananas on a baking tray in a 250° oven until the skins turn dark brown and the inside becomes soft, 15 to 20 minutes. If you have a day or two to plan ahead before you need ripened bananas, place them in a brown paper bag with another fruit—apple, orange, pear or peach—to boost ethylene gas (a natural byproduct of the ripening process).

Can I bake this pound cake in mini-Bundt cake pans?

Yes, you can bake this pound cake in mini-Bundt cake pans. Make sure the wells are very well greased and floured, then fill each well two-thirds of the way full of batter. Bake them at 350°, checking around the 20-minute mark for doneness. The cakes should be golden and spring back when poked with a finger. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for five minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack.