Name: Banana Poke Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 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; 2 cups heavy whipping cream; 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 cup Vanilla wafers (crushed); Bananas (for garnish (optional))

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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.

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.

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5 from 2 votes

Banana Poke Cake

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!

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Chill Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana, cake, poke cake

Servings: 12

Calories: 491

Author: Christina Hitchcock

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.
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 13x9 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)

Notes

I add the crushed cookies and banana garnish to the cake slices as I'm serving them. This way the cookies don't get soggy and the bananas stay fresh.

Nutrition

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Helpful Tips for All Recipes on It Is a Keeper

Want to scale a recipe up or down? Simply type in a new serving amount and the recipe will automatically adjust!
When a recipe call for House Seasoning Blend, you can use this recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
I always use unsalted butter in my recipes.
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When a recipe is made in the oven, it should be pre-heated to the temperature in the recipe, unless otherwise noted.
The nutritional information provided in this recipe is an estimate. Learn more on how I calculate nutritional information for my recipes.