This Banana Poke Cake is moist and tender and bursting with banana flavor. It’s everything you love about banana cream pie turned into a cake!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Dairy Association North East.
Why This Easy Banana Cake Recipes Works
My family is obsessed with bananas. They love to eat bananas plain and incorporate them into everything. They love my Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread and these Banana Granola Bites.
This easy banana cake recipe is a cross between a tender banana bread and a moist poke cake. It’s light, luscious and full of banana flavor.
What is Banana Poke Cake?
Poke cakes are one of my favorite desserts to make. I love how easy and versatile they are to make. Some of my favorites are this Snickers Poke Cake and my Coconut Cream Poke Cake. And, my Carrot Cake Poke Cake is one of the most popular recipes on It is a Keeper.
The concept is simple for this banana poke cake. The recipe starts with a cake baked in a 13×9 baking dish
. The you poke holes all over it and pour some sort of topping over the holes so it seeps in and filled the crevices.
The filling is what makes it moist and adds a punch of flavor. In this case, it’s banana flavor.
How to Make this Best Ever Moist Banana Cake
This easy banana cake recipe is simple to make. You can use a cake mix or your favorite scratch cake recipe. I used a boxed butter cake but I think I might try a my homemade chocolate cake next time.
I prepared the cake according to the package directions. I added eggs, butter and water and mixed it until everything was combined. Then I stirred in mashed bananas.
Once the cake has baked and cooled, you poke holes all over it.
The filling for this recipe was instant banana pudding. I mixed it with some whole milk and poured it all over the top of the cake. The pudding covered the top and filled the holes with banana deliciousness.
Then I topped the entire thing with whipped cream and crushed vanilla cookies. The result was a luscious cake that was a cross between classic banana pudding and a banana bread. It’s incredible!
I did have to snack on some vanilla wafers – they go perfectly with a big glass of milk!
Expert Tips for Making this Easy Banana Cake Recipe
This easy banana poke cake is easy and simple to make. Here are a few tips to make it even easier:
- It’s best if you use overripe bananas – they are perfect banana cake or banana bread because the flavor is intense and they mash very easily.
- I like to use the handle of wooden spoon
to poke holes in the cake so that I get nice sized holes that are ready for the filling. - I use whole milk for the pudding. I find that it has the best texture and consistency.
to poke holes in the cake so that I get nice sized holes that are ready for the filling.In the fall, I had the opportunity to tour some dairy farms in New York state. Even though I was born and raised in a region that has a number of dairy farms, I was surprised by how much I didn’t know about dairy farming.
I learned that cow comfort is extremely important to dairy farmers because it leads to high-quality, wholesome milk. The multi-generational farm that I visited really took pride in ensuring their cows were comfortable. They used technology and science, as well as animal nutritionists to make sure their cows were well taken care of.
I also learned that dairy farmers live on or near the land that they farm. They understand the importance of protecting natural resources. They’re good stewards of their land and have incorporated sustainable practices that use every part of the product and by-products produced.
They also adhere to strict government standards and industry protocols to ensure that the pasteurized milk they produce is wholesome, safe and nutritious. You can learn more about dairy farming here.
I highly recommend you take the opportunity to visit a dairy farm sometime. I found it fascinating. Plus, the cows were so dang cute!
Tools Use to Make this Easy Banana Cake Recipe
13×9 Baking Dish
: I love using a glass baking dish for poke cakes so I can see all of the scrumptious layers.
Wooden Spoon
: The round handle of a wooden spoon is perfect for poking holes in a poke cake.
Mixer
: This makes it so easy to prepare the cake batter and make the whipped cream.
More Poke Cake Recipes You Might Like
Looking for more? Check out all of the easy dessert recipes on It Is a Keeper.
⭐ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below! ⭐
Banana Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 2 bananas, mashed (use overripe bananas)
- 1 3.4 oz box instant banana pudding
- 2 cups milk
Whipped Cream Topping
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup Vanilla wafers, crushed
- Bananas, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer add the cake mix, eggs, water and butter.
- Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mash bananas in a separate bowl.
- Fold bananas into cake batter and stir until combined.
- Pour into prepared 13×9 baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Use the handle of a wooden spook to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Be careful not to go all the way to the bottom.
- In a bowl, combine the instant pudding and milk; whisk until combined.
- Allow pudding to set for about 2 minutes.
- Pour slightly thickened pudding over the top of the cake. Use a spatula to spread it evenly, allowing it to fill the holes.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer; Whip cream till soft peaks form.
- Fold in powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed.
- Spread the whipped cream on top of the chilled cake.
- Top with crushed vanilla cookies and garnish with banana slices. (see note)
Video
Expert Tips
Estimated Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Dairy Association North East.
Wow! Fast, easy and delicious! Why didn’t I think of making banana pudding into a cake? So much easier!
LOVED this poke cake! The banana flavor was so good and best of all, it was so easy to make! Thanks for a great dessert recipe Christina!
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Banana Cream Pie used to be my family’s most requested dessert. Now, they beg for this cake instead. It’s so easy to make and absolutely delicious!
I love this recipe! I am not a huge pie fan but banana cream is my favorite if I have to choose, so changing that to a cake is just perfection!
I’m a banana fanatic too so this is right up my alley. And I think poke cakes have to be one of my favorite cakes to make so this recipe is like a no-brainer for me. It looks absolutely delicious and it’s so easy too! I don’t know what I’m waiting for – I’ve gotta make this ASAP! Thanks for the inspiration.
This cake is amazing! I can’t wait for you to try it! Definitely let me know how you like it!
Looks like the ultimate comfort food dessert! I’m a sucker for a good banana pudding, and now poke cake!
This one is so good! Enjoy!
I loooove this recipe! It’s like a banana cream pie with so much less work.
Most definitely!
I love desserts that also can double as breakfast and this one is definitely that! So yummy!
I never thought to have it for breakfast! great idea!
I love poke cakes too – so moist and delicious. I have never made a banana poke cake, but now I can’t wait to try! This looks super yummy!
It’s so good! And easy too!
Poke cakes are just the best and this one looks like winning flavors for summer time!
I agree! Enjoy!
This will be a great Father’s Day treat for my banana loving hubby!
I hope he enjoys it!
I love, love, love poke cakes! The addition of banana is perfection! This is great for a summer picnic dessert!
Oh my gosh! This fabulous banana poke cake was so moist and delicious. I originally made it for my husband to take to work to share, but it never made it that far. I had company that stopped by unexpectedly and were the happy recipients of this delightful summer treat!
Looks yummy!
Thank you! 🙂