We’ve upped the game for hummingbird cake. Traditional cake layers baked with ripe mashed banana, crushed pineapple, and toasted pecans are filled with vanilla bean pudding and sliced ripe bananas, creating a mind-blowing marriage of two dessert favorites: all the classic flavors of hummingbird cake with a rich banana pudding vibe. Enrobed in Vanilla Italian Buttercream, this cake wouldn’t be complete without crumbly vanilla wafer cookies and more fresh banana slices.
Banana Pudding Hummingbird Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (529 grams) mashed ripe banana
- 1 (8-ounce) can (227 grams) crushed pineapple in juice
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (220 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup (224 grams) canola oil
- 3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) vanilla bean paste
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup (113 grams) chopped toasted pecans
- Vanilla Italian Buttercream (recipe follows)
- 3 to 4 large unpeeled bananas (540 to 720 grams), peeled and cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices
- Vanilla Cream Filling (recipe follows)
- Garnish: finely crushed vanilla wafers, bananas slices, whole vanilla wafers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mashed banana, pineapple with juice, sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla bean paste until well combined.
- In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually add flour mixture to banana mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in pecans. Divide batter among prepared pans (about 620 grams each), smoothing tops with a small offset spatula. Tap pans on a kitchen towel-lined counter a few times to settle batter and release any air bubbles.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Level cooled cake layers, if desired; discard parchment. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake turntable or a serving plate. Spoon 1 cup (140 grams) Vanilla Italian Buttercream into a pastry bag; cut a ½-inch opening in tip. Pipe a ½-inch-tall border around edge of layer. Arrange banana slices in a single layer within piped border. Spread half of Vanilla Cream Filling (about 164 grams) on top of bananas. Top with second cake layer. Pipe a ½-inch-tall border around edge of layer. Arrange banana slices in a single layer within piped border. (Reserve any leftover banana slices for garnish or another use.) Spread remaining filling on top of bananas. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Using a large offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream on top and sides of cake to create a crumb coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Reserve 1½ cups (212 grams) Vanilla Italian Buttercream. Spread remaining buttercream on top and sides of cake; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Garnish bottom third of cake with crushed vanilla wafers, if desired, gently pressing crumbs into sides.
- Place reserved buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a medium open star tip (Wilton 1M). Pipe swirls of buttercream around top edge of cake. Garnish with banana slices, whole vanilla wafers, and crushed vanilla wafers, if desired.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Vanilla Italian Buttercream
Makes about 7½ cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 grams) extra-fine granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 grams) water
- 1 cup (240 grams) egg whites, room temperature (about 8 large egg whites)
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
- 2½ cups (567 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and very softened
- 2 teaspoons (12 grams) vanilla bean paste*
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and ½ cup (120 grams) water. Bring to a boil over high heat, being careful not to splash sides of pan and stirring to help sugar dissolve. (Do not stir once mixture starts to boil.) Cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 240°F (116°C).
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt at medium speed until soft peaks form.
- With mixer on medium speed, pour hot sugar syrup between side of bowl and whisk attachment in a slow, steady stream. Increase mixer speed to high; beat until stiff peaks form and bowl and meringue are relatively cool to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until combined after each addition. (Mixture will look very loose to start, and may even look broken at one point, but buttercream will come together. [See Notes.]) Beat in vanilla bean paste. Beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Use immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container. Let refrigerated buttercream come to room temperature, and rewhip using the whisk attachment until silky smooth before using. (See Notes.)
Notes
*We used Heilala Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.
Notes: If meringue is too warm when butter is added and mixture is too loose, place the whole bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes to help the mixture firm back up. Return bowl to stand mixer, and proceed with recipe as directed, repeating procedure as necessary.
If butter was too cold when added and is forming small lumps in buttercream, gently warm bowl over simmering water just until edges start to melt. For a gentler approach, warm bowl with a hot towel to help soften the butter. Proceed with recipe as directed, repeating procedure as necessary.
If buttercream breaks or looks curdled, keep beating it; it should eventually come together.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Vanilla Cream Filling
Makes about 1¾ cups
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups (320 grams) whole milk
- ¼ cup (50 grams) extra-fine granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons (12 grams) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons (6 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large egg yolks (56 grams)
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and softened
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Line a medium shallow baking dish or bowl with plastic wrap; place a fine-mesh sieve inside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until steaming. (Do not boil.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks until well combined. (Mixture will be very thick.) Gradually add half of warm milk to sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Add sugar mixture to remaining warm milk in pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and mixture no longer tastes starchy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add butter to warm milk mixture in two additions, stirring until combined; stir in vanilla bean paste. Pour and press mixture through fine-mesh sieve into prepared dish or bowl; smooth into a thin layer. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly onto surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, 2 to 3 hours or up to overnight. Stir until softened and smooth before using.
Notes
PRO TIP
When decorating with fresh banana slices, lightly coat the slices in fresh lemon juice to prevent the fruit from browning. To accomplish this, lay the freshly cut banana slices flat on a piece of parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the slices with fresh lemon juice. Turn the slices over, brush the opposite side. Use the lemon juice sparingly, though. Alternatively, garnish the cake with banana slices and whole vanilla wafers just before serving for optimal freshness. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Looks great
Can I omit the pineapple? My son is allergic to pineapple.
Hi Lindsey,
Unfortunately, the pineapple in juice is an important part of the texture of this cake. Without it, the cake would be very dry.
What can you use in place of vanilla bean paste?
Hi Melissa,
You can use regular vanilla extract in equal amounts instead of vanilla bean paste. Happy baking!
Yum!!!!!
Can you use a half sheet pan instead of the 3, 9” round pans?
Hi Mike,
Thank you for reaching out. It is probably too much batter for a half sheet pan. You could try to halving the recipe, but as it stands it would not fit on a half sheet pan. Happy baking!