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Extreme close-up of banana cream layer cake cross-section showing thick ivory pastry cream and soft golden banana cake texture

Classic Banana Cream Layer Cake

Authorlily mellow
This banana cream cake is everything a celebration dessert should be — three soft, golden banana layers filled with a thick scratch vanilla pastry cream and wrapped in the silkiest vanilla buttercream you've ever made at home. Vanilla wafer crumbs along the sides, banana chip rosettes on top. Make it the night before, slice it cold, and watch the table go quiet.
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Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Servings13 slices
Calories580 kcal

Equipment

  • Three 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans
  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • Large offset spatula
  • Bench scraper / cake smoother
  • Rotating cake stand / turntable
  • Wire cooling racks
  • Piping bag + round or star tip

Ingredients  

Vanilla Pastry Cream Filling

  • 1½ cups 360ml whole milk
  • 3 large egg yolks room temperature
  • ½ cup 100g granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp 25g cornstarch
  • ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tbsp 30g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Banana Cake Layers

  • ½ cup 115g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup 60ml vegetable oil
  • 1½ cups 300g granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 egg white room temperature
  • 1 tbsp 15ml pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup 120g sour cream, room temperature
  • 1½ cups 340g mashed ripe bananas (approx. 3–4 medium)
  • 2½ cups 315g all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt

Whipped Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 cup 230g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 4 cups 480g powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 to 4 tbsp 45–60ml heavy whipping cream
  • 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch of fine salt

Decoration

  • ¾ cup 75g vanilla wafers (Nilla Wafers), crushed into fine crumbs
  • 10 to 12 dehydrated banana chips

Instructions 

Make the pastry cream

  1. In a medium saucepan off the heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in milk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and no lumps remain.
  2. Lightly beat egg yolks in a small bowl. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat until it begins to steam. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid into the yolks in a thin stream while whisking constantly. Pour the tempered mixture back into the saucepan.
  3. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the cream comes to a full boil and thickens. Boil gently for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla until fully incorporated.
  4. Transfer to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Bake the cake layers

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter three 8-inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment circles.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. Beat softened butter, vegetable oil, and granulated sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix briefly to combine.
  4. Add whole eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add egg white. On low speed, mix in mashed bananas until just combined.
  5. Add dry ingredients in two additions on low speed, mixing just until no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
  6. Divide batter evenly between the three pans. Bake for 26–30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.

Make the buttercream

  1. Beat softened butter on medium-high for 3 minutes until pale and airy. Add sifted powdered sugar in two additions, then heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat on high for 2 minutes until white, smooth, and fluffy. Transfer one-third of the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip.

Assemble

  1. Place the first cake layer on a cake board or rotating stand. Pipe a thick ring of buttercream around the entire outer edge to create a frosting dam. Spread half the chilled pastry cream in the center and smooth level with an offset spatula.
  2. Place the second cake layer on top. Repeat the frosting dam and fill the center with the remaining pastry cream.
  3. Place the third cake layer flat-side up. Apply a thin crumb coat of buttercream over the entire top and sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. Frost the entire cake with the remaining buttercream. Smooth the sides with a bench scraper. Press crushed vanilla wafer crumbs onto the lower third of the sides. Pipe rosettes on top and press one banana chip into each rosette. Refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing.

Notes

Storage: Because this cake contains egg-based pastry cream, it must be refrigerated at all times. Store in an airtight carrier for up to 4 days. Let slices rest 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Make Ahead: Pastry cream keeps refrigerated up to 3 days (plastic wrap on surface). Cake layers can be baked 2 days ahead, wrapped in plastic, and stored at room temperature. Assemble the day of your event.
Frosting Dam: The piped buttercream ring around each layer edge is essential. Without it, the pastry cream filling will push outward under the weight of the layers above and leak from the sides when sliced.