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banana cream cake decorated with banana slices and Nilla Wafers, cut open with banana pudding filling, on a white marble cake stand with bananas in the background
5 from 17 ratings

Banana Cream Cake

Yield: 8 slices
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 34 minutes
Decorating Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
This is the best banana cream cake! Moist layers of banana cake are filled with banana pastry cream, frosted with cream cheese frosting and garnished with Nilla Wafers.
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Ingredients

For the Banana Pastry Cream

  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp banana extract
  • 3 tbsp (24 g) cornstrach, scooped and leveled

For the Banana Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups (282 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
  • 2 eggs,  at room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks,  at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup (250 g) mashed banana
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk,  at room temperature

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
  • 3 1/2 cups (455 g) powdered sugar
  • Nilla Wafers for decoration

Instructions
 

For the Banana Pastry Cream

  • In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat just until it’s steaming. Then, turn heat down to low until ready to use. 
    1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
  • To a separate medium saucepan, with the heat off, add the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla and banana extract and whisk until combined and a pale-yellow color. (It will be thick at first but will get smooth as you whisk.) Gradually mix in the cornstarch 1 tbsp (8 g) at a time making sure each addition is fully combined before adding the next. 
    4 egg yolks, 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp banana extract, 3 tbsp (24 g) cornstrach, scooped and leveled
  • When all the cornstarch is added, heat the mixture over medium-low heat. Whisk continuously for 3-4 minutes until the sugar looks dissolved and the mixture is hot. 
  • Then turn the heat down to low. To the mixture, add in 1/4 cup  (60 ml) of the heated milk while stirring vigorously. 
  • Then, add the rest in and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-low again and cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking continuously, until the mixture is thick and soft peaks form. 
  • Remove the pastry cream from heat. Transfer it to a bowl and place plastic wrap right on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill it in the fridge until completely cold.

For the Banana Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 6" cake pans with non stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then set aside.
    2 1/4 cups (282 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled , 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
    10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
  • Next add in the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla and mix on medium-high speed until pale in color, smooth and slightly fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
    2 eggs,  at room temperature, 2 egg yolks,  at room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla
  • Then add in the mashed banana and combine on low speed.
    1 cup (250 g) mashed banana
  • Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture and mix on low then medium speed until combined and the batter is smooth.
    1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk,  at room temperature
  • Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans.
  • Bake the cakes for 30-34 minutes, or until a cake tester/toothpick comes out clean from the centers.
  • Let the cakes cool in the pans for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Add the butter to a large bowl and whip on high speed until pale in color and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.
    1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • Then mix in the cold cream cheese.
    8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
  • Sift the powdered sugar in a little at a time until all is combined. Whip the frosting on high speed until light and fluffy.
    3 1/2 cups (455 g) powdered sugar

Assembing the Cake

  • STEP ONE Filling the Cake: Place the first cake layer on the rotating cake turntable. Then add a thin layer of cream cheese frosting on top of the cake layer and even it out with your offset spatula, turning the cake table as you go. Add some of the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and cut off the tip so you have a half inch opening, or use a large circular piping tip. Pipe a “border” layer of frosting just on the edges of the cake layer. Make sure the border of frosting is about ½ inch thick and 1 inch high. Then add banana pastry cream on top of the cake layer. Place the next cake layer over top and repeat the step. (If you have left over pastry cream, reserve for serving.)
  • STEP TWO Creating the Crumb Coat: Then place the final layer over the top and place small dollops of frosting on the sides of the cake and top of the cake. Even out the frosting as much as possible with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper, scrape the icing across the cake, turning the cake turntable as you go to make this as easy as possible. The frosting should be a thin layer for this step. It ensures the cake's final layer will be free of crumbs. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • STEP THREE Final Layer of Frosting: Once the cake has chilled in the fridge, remove it and apply the final coating of frosting. You may need to rewhip the frosting at this point. Apply generous dollops of frosting on the sides of the cake and the top of the cake and smooth them out with your offset spatula. Then with your cake scraper even out the frosting, turning the cake turntable as you go, to give you a smooth finish of cream cheese frosting on the entire cake. Press crushed Nilla Wafers onto the bottom of the cake. Then return the cake to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
  • STEP FOUR Decorating the Cake: Rewhip if necessary and then transfer the remaining cream cheese frosting to a piping bag fit with a decorative tip. Once the cake has chilled, pipe decorative swirls of frosting on top of the cake. Decorate with banana slices and Nilla Wafers, then serve the cake!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana, banana cream, banana cream cake
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