5-Ingredient Banana Pudding Cake
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Dec. 6, 2023
I’ve been making this extra moist banana pudding cake for potlucks, friends, and family for over 20 years. It’s “that cake” that people always request, which is why it’s been on this site since the start. It’s a super simple, non-fussy bundt cake that has big banana flavor and a tender crumb. You’ll only need 5 ingredients.
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The Easiest Banana Cake
If you subscribe to my recipe newsletters or poke around here a bit, you know that I almost always bake recipes from scratch. To every rule, there are exceptions.
It’s Cheaty McCheaty time; I’m throwing down a banana cake that calls for a bit of Betty Crocker. Rest assured, I’m first and foremost a from-scratch girl. But this banana pudding cake begs to be given a special pass.
This extra-moist banana bundt cake is beyond easy and is so wonderful that it needs no frosting, drizzling, or icing of any kind. If you love this easy cake recipe you might also enjoy this brown sugar cake.
Just 5 ingredients
When I have zero free time and need a crowd-pleasing cake in a jiffy, this easy banana cake is one of my go-to’s. It’s perfect for an easy breakfast or brunch recipe with your favorite cup of coffee or tea. It’s is also magnificent for a super simple dessert recipe, alongside a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Simply grab these 5 items to make perfectly moist banana bundt cake:
- The best banana cake starts with the best bananas: use 2 extra-ripe bananas, roughly mashed. The more brown spots, the better. If you prefer zero bits of banana chunks in your cake, go ahead and mash them thoroughly. We prefer them roughly mashed, for tiny bits of banana chunks in finished cake.
- 1 box yellow cake mix — the brand does matter in this particular banana cake. I’ve had the most consistent and best results using Betty Crocker Super Moist.
- 1 (4-serving size) package Jello banana cream instant pudding powder. Be sure you’re grabbing the instant kind.
- Fresh eggs, lightly beaten
- For ultimate moistness and tenderness, we opt for olive oil instead of butter. We promise your banana pudding cake won’t taste like olives.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower-middle position. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix and instant pudding powder. Whisk to loosen any lumps. Add eggs, water, and oil. Whisk just until incorporated. Using rubber spatula, fold in bananas just until combined; don’t over-mix.
- Pour into prepared bundt pan, lightly shaking to even out the batter.
- Bake 35-45 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached. Don’t over bake.
- Cool completely in pan on rack. Once cool, use very thin knife to separate cake from pan edges, if needed. Invert and remove cake.
Pro Tips for The Best Banana Cake
- Use a nonstick bundt pan. It’s easy, fuss-free, and fail-proof. Let the cake cool in the pan at room temperature for clean removal.
- Speaking of which, do let the cake fully cool before slicing into it. My best results have come from allowing the baked cake to cool overnight on the counter. It’ll remove much more easily from pan the next morning, and the texture is amazing.
- The more ripe your bananas are, the better your cake will taste.
- Don’t bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out totally clean, as that sometimes leads to over-baking. Once your toothpick comes out with a few tiny tender crumbs still attached, your cake is done.
- Dress it up or keep it simple. I typically forgo any icing on this one, because this banana pudding cake is 100% yum without any bling.
- If you wish, you can drizzle the cake with your favorite icing or cream cheese frosting. This banana cake is so good, it really needs nothing but itself. If anything, this light and fluffy stabilized whipped cream would be perfect.
Commonly Asked Questions
Your favorite brand of yellow cake mix will work; we prefer Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix.
You do not cook the pudding prior to adding it to the cake batter. You simply use the instant pudding powder straight, as-is, adding it directly to the batter.
This cake is perfect for making ahead of time, as it stays moist and tender and tastes even better the next day. Let baked cake cool completely in the pan, if you’re baking it ahead of time.
This cake keeps well for 2-3 days at mild room temperature. If you’re keeping it longer than that, you can cover tightly and chill for up to a week.
Once baked and completely cooled, you can freeze your banana cake by wrapping it airtight and freezing it for up to a month.
This cake is so good all on its own and does not need any frosting or icing at all. However, if you’d like, you can use your favorite buttercream frosting, 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce, Hot Fudge Sauce, or Stabilized Whipped Cream to top it with.
You can add in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, toasted coconut flakes, or toasted chopped pecans, if you’d like.
Try This Popular Apple Cake, Too
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Banana Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 2 medium bananas, extremely ripe, roughly mashed
- 13.25 oz yellow cake mix, Betty Crocker Super Moist
- 3.4 oz banana cream instant pudding powder, Jello brand
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower-middle position. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix and instant pudding powder. Whisk to loosen any lumps. Add eggs, water, and oil. Whisk just until incorporated. Using rubber spatula, fold in bananas just until combined; don’t over-mix.
- Pour into prepared bundt pan, lightly shaking to even out the batter.
- Bake 35-45 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few tender crumbs attached. Don’t over bake.
- Cool completely in pan on rack. Once cool, use very thin knife to separate cake from pan edges, if needed. Invert and remove cake.
Equipment
- Yellow Cake Mix, 13.25 oz
Notes
- This banana pudding cake is so fantastic on its own that it needs no frosting or icing. We love it as-is. That said, for a simple icing: Mix 1 TB warm milk + 1 cup powdered sugar until it’s the consistency of thick icing. Transfer into a small Ziploc baggie and cut a tiny hole in the corner; drizzle over cooled cake.
- Feel free to use canola oil or vegetable oil instead of olive oil, if you prefer.
- Other options: sliced bananas, stabilized whipped cream, vanilla bean ice cream, or 4-Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce.
Nutrition (per serving)
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