Banana Birthday Cake

Lilah's First Birthday Banana Pudding Cake

I have made a lot and posted a lot of recipes. But even I was shocked when I got such a big response from this cake after posting a picture of it on Facebook and Twitter! It was something I threw around in my head when I was trying to figure out what my Lilah's First Year birthday cake would be.

Lilah LOVES bananas. She will eat several of them at a time if you let her. It was her love for this fruit that inspired me to make her this Banana Pudding Cake for her smash cake and one for our sweet tooth, too. I have some really great pictures of this cake and her smash cake on my hubby's camera. As soon as I can, I will share those pictures with you. For now, I will share the few I took with my iPhone and the recipe!

Here is how I did it:

First things first, the ingredients:

1- Box of Duncan Hines Yellow Cake mix 
1- box of Vanilla Wafer mini- Cookies (you can use regular, too)
1- large firm but ripe banana sliced into thin medallions 
1-family-sized box of JELL-O Banana Flavored Pudding
1-large container of whipped topping, or  3 cups of homemade whipped topping

Directions:

 Step 1: Bake yellow cake according to box directions. Use either a large round pan (I used a 10" X 3" round pan) or 2 -9" round pans. After the cake is baked, allow to completely cool. I baked my cake the night before I was going to decorate it and let it cool over night.
Step 2: Make pudding according to package directions and allow to set for 5-10 minutes. I used the directions to make Pudding for a Pie Filling. I like a thicker pudding. I also made this pudding the night before. I highly recommend doing this!
Step 3: Crush 2 cups of vanilla wafers.
Step 5: Level the top of your cooled cake or cakes. If you do not care if it is leveled, then skip this step. I barely had a dome, so I skipped this step.
Step 6: Once the cake has completely cooled, torte the cake in half or more if  you would like. I only cut the cake in half. Next time, I will do it in four layers. If you used cake rounds you can skip this step.
Step 7: Place the FLIPPED top part of the cake on the bottom of your serving platter or cake board, whatever you are decorating on.
Step 8: We are at the fun part! Place a generous layer of pudding on top of the cake layer. If your are using more than one layer, then don't be so generous. You'll need some for the other layer(s). Reserve at least 1/2 a cup.

Step 9: Next add some of those crushed wafers on top of the pudding. Trust me, it is AWESOME!
Step 10: Then, add your sliced bananas.

 Step 11: Add a thin layer of whipped topping on top of the bananas with some extra crushed wafers on top. Why not?

 Step 12: You are ready to place the FLIPPED bottom cake layer on top.

 Step 13: Use the reserved 1/2 a cup of pudding to frost a light crumb coating, so you will not get crumbs when you decorate. Refrigerate the cake at this point (DO NOT WRAP) for 30 minutes. This coating traps the crumbs so they do not mix into your decorative frosting.

Step 14: Take the cake out of the fridge after 30 minutes and frost generously with whipped topping. PLEASE for the LOVE of GOD use homemade whipped topping if you can! I am a semi-homemade-kinda- girl for sure, but homemade whipped topping can't be beat!
Step 15: Add crushed wafers to top and sides of cake. Then add some whole wafers on top for decoration. You are ready to grub!

I let my cake sit in the fridge for almost 2 hours before serving. Even though it is not necessary, I highly recommend it for the cool, pudding taste. It tastes really good at room temperature, but even better if all the cake is cool from the fridge and the pudding is allowed to mellow the cake as it chills.

Trust me, this cake is EASY to make. It takes no time to throw together. I plan on making it again really soon. After all, what is summer time in Texas with out some banana pudding at a BBQ? or a birthday?

 Lilah,The Birthday Girl, enjoying her Banana Pudding Cake!

Tips:
1) Bake cake night before decorating. Saves time on the big day for decorating.
2) Crush cookies the night before.
3) Make and chill pudding the night before. 
4) Buy store prepared pudding. 
5) Use a rich whipped topping for decorating
6) Caramelized bananas would be awesome on this!