Banana Pudding Cake with Coconut Milk

Poke holes while it’s still warm—that’s the whole trick. Cold cake and pudding just sits there. Warm cake lets it soak all the way through, and twelve hours later it tastes like the cake and pudding decided to become one thing instead of two separate layers pretending to get along.

Why You’ll Love This Banana Pudding Cake Remix

Tastes like comfort food without the guilt of making something from scratch. Box mix plus pudding mix plus bananas equals something that doesn’t taste boxed at all.

Takes 15 minutes to prep, 28 minutes in the oven. The actual work ends fast. Refrigerator does the heavy lifting for 12 hours.

Works cold straight from the fridge—better cold, actually. Slice it with a long serrated knife and the layers stay clean instead of sliding around on each other.

Coconut milk changes everything. Not overpowering. Just makes it richer, smoother, less dry. Water works if coconut milk isn’t around. Tastes different, fine either way.

The banana pudding layer soaks in. Doesn’t sit on top. Doesn’t separate. Becomes the cake.

What You Need for Coconut Milk Banana Cake

Coconut milk. Not coconut cream. The thinner stuff in a can. Brings richness that regular milk doesn’t touch.

Vegetable oil. Melts smooth into the batter. Butter makes it heavier. Not what this needs.

Three large eggs. Room temperature works. Cold is fine too. Just crack them in.

Yellow cake mix. One package. The kind that comes together in five minutes because that’s the point.

Instant banana pudding mix. This is what layers in. The 3.4-ounce packet. The one that’s bright yellow.

Two and a half cups cold milk for the pudding layer. Whatever kind you have. Whole milk, skim, almond—it doesn’t care.

Three ripe bananas, sliced thin. Ripe but not falling apart. Thin slices mean more coverage without turning to mush during those twelve hours in the fridge.

Sixteen ounces thawed whipped topping. The frozen kind, thawed. Spread it loose over the bananas. Not thick. Let the cake show through.

Vanilla wafers for the top. Press one down per serving spot. Looks intentional. Tastes like it was planned that way.

How to Make Coconut Milk Banana Cake

Set oven to 345 degrees. Not 350. Lower temp means edges don’t burn faster than the middle. Spray a 9 by 13 pan. Light spray. Over-oiling makes edges sog.

In a big bowl, dump coconut milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and cake mix. The coconut milk makes this different. Don’t skip it. Whisk by hand for about a minute. No lumps. Batter should be thick enough to hold shape but slide off the spoon easy.

Pour into the pan, tilt to spread it even. Tap the pan once on the counter—gets air bubbles out. Bake for 27 to 30 minutes. Toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few wet crumbs still attached. Watch for cracks. Too many means oven’s running hot.

Right out. While it’s still hot, grab a wooden spoon or skewer and poke holes everywhere. Top, sides, middle. This part matters. Warm cake soaks pudding deep. Cold cake won’t take it.

Let it cool 15 to 20 minutes. Not to room temperature. Warm still. Pudding sinks in better this way.

Whisk banana pudding mix with the milk. Two minutes of actual whisking, not lazy stirring. Keep going until it thickens. Pudding sets fast. You have maybe three minutes before it gets too thick to pour. Stay ready.

How to Get Layers That Actually Stick Together

Pour half the pudding over the warm cake. Use the back of a spoon to push it into the holes. Gentle. Cake’s soft. Don’t tear it to pieces.

The second half of pudding goes on next. Smooth it even. Looks runny. It’s supposed to. Refrigerator firms it up.

Layer the bananas on top. Thin slices. Ripe but still hold shape. Bananas get mushy over time, so start firm-ish. Spread them in one layer, overlapping slightly to cover without leaving gaps.

Whipped topping goes on last. Dollop it. Not a thick smear. You want cake showing through between the dollops. Press vanilla wafers into the topping—one per slice, more or less. Cookies sink a bit but stay visible.

Refrigerate uncovered or loosely covered. Twelve hours is the target. Eleven hours if you’re desperate. Thirteen if you have time. The pudding soaks in completely around that mark. Less time and layers haven’t met yet. More than fourteen and it gets sludgy.

Banana Pudding Cake Tips and Common Mistakes

Room-temperature cake takes pudding better than cold cake. Don’t skip the poking-holes step because you’re impatient. That step is everything.

Slice it cold with a long serrated knife. Not a regular knife. Not a cake server. Serrated. Pull the knife toward you instead of pushing. Keeps edges clean.

Bananas brown around the edges after a few hours. That’s fine. Doesn’t affect taste. Just how it looks.

If pudding seems too thick when you’re whisking it, whisk faster, not longer. More time makes it thicker faster. More speed keeps it moving.

Don’t refrigerate covered tight. Condensation drips back onto the cake and makes it soggy. Loose cover or uncovered is fine.

Coconut milk banana cake lasts about three days cold before the bananas start getting weird. Eat it within two if looks matter to you.

Banana Pudding Cake with Coconut Milk

By Emma

Prep:

15 min

Cook:

28 min

Total:

12h 43min

Servings:

12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups coconut milk (can substitute with water or almond milk)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 package yellow cake mix (about 15.25 ounces)
• 1 package instant banana pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk (any kind works)
• 3 large ripe bananas, thinly sliced
• 16 ounces thawed whipped topping
• Vanilla wafers for garnish

Method

1. 1 Preheat oven to 345°F, not too hot or cake edges burn faster. Spray 9×13 pan lightly; avoid over-oiling or cake sogs up at edges.
2. 2 In a large bowl, mix coconut milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and cake mix. Coconut milk changes texture; more richness, slight nuttiness. Whisk by hand for about 1 min. No lumps; batter should slide smooth and thickish but flow easily.
3. 3 Pour batter in pan tipping to spread evenly. Tap pan once on counter to release trapped air bubbles. Bake between 27-30 min. Toothpick inserted near center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Watch cracks; too many means oven’s too hot or overbake.
4. 4 Right out of oven, grab wooden spoon handle or skewer. Poke holes all over cake while still warm—important for pudding to soak deep. Let cool 15-20 minutes but not cold; warm so pudding sinks in better.
5. 5 While cooling, whisk banana pudding mix with milk in a bowl—use 2 min continuous whisking. Pudding can thicken too fast if left alone; stay ready to pour immediately. Should be pourable but not runny.
6. 6 Pour half the banana pudding gently over cake. Use back of spoon to nudge pudding into holes, pushing down lightly so pockets fill but cake doesn’t tear.
7. 7 Repeat with remaining pudding, smoothing top to create even blanket. Layer will seem runny but firm up refrigerating.
8. 8 Spread sliced bananas in one layer over pudding. Bananas must be ripe but firm-ish to avoid mush. Slice thin to maximize coverage without sogginess.
9. 9 Finally, evenly dollop thawed whipped topping on bananas. Not too thick or it overpowers; want some cake show through.
10. 10 Decorate top with vanilla wafers. I press one cookie per serving spot; personal touch that avoids cookie hunting later.
11. 11 Refrigerate uncovered or loosely covered for 11-13 hours. Twelve hours hit sweet spot for pudding to meld into cake without turning sludgy. Slice cold with long serrated knife for clean edges.

Nutritional information

Calories

325

Protein

5g

Carbs

62g

Fat

7g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pudding Cake With Fresh Bananas

Can I use regular milk instead of coconut milk? Yes. Water works too. Coconut milk just makes it richer and less dry. Won’t taste the same but comes out fine either way.

Why does the pudding need to soak for 12 hours? Layers need time to meld. Eight hours and they’re still separate. Fourteen and it gets sludgy. Twelve hours hits the sweet spot where pudding soaks in but cake stays cake.

What if I poke the holes too deep? Cake gets holes. Pudding pools in the bottom. Still tastes good, just looks different. Not a disaster.

Can I use fresh banana pudding mix instead of instant? Not really. Fresh mix needs to be made differently and won’t set the same way in the cake. Instant pudding mix is what this recipe needs.

Does the whipped topping have to be thawed? Yes. Frozen whipped topping won’t spread smooth. Thaw it an hour before you build the cake.

Can I make this ahead? Make it the night before. Refrigerate covered loosely. Slice cold. That’s actually better because pudding’s had time to firm up.

What’s the best knife for slicing? Long serrated knife. Pull it toward you instead of sawing. Keeps the layers from sliding around and bananas from smashing.

Why 345 degrees and not 350? Lower temp bakes more evenly. Edges don’t brown too fast. Cake comes out tender instead of crusty on the sides.