I mean, yes we could have used a different title that isn’t as long as, The Very Best Banana Pudding Cake I’ve Ever Had, but it’s the moistest cake!

A dark bundt pan with a beautiful, bright yellow banana pudding bundt cake

The Best Bundt Cake Recipe

When I was in high school, a funny movie came out about a really tight knit Greek family and the daughter who falls for a man who is NOT Greek. At one point, a Bundt Cake is brought to a party and the classic line is:

“What is it?

Harriet Miller: Its a bundt.

M: A bun?

H: A bundT.

M: A bondt?

H: BUNDT BUUNDT!!

M: I know, it’s a cake-y!….

(to friend) there’s a hole in this cake.

Anytime I hear someone say “bundt,” I think of that movie quote and it totally puts a smile on my face. Apparently even as I type it, as Cade just pointed out that I’m smiling at my computer screen. 🙂

Really though, this is one of my new favorite desserts and I think it’s because of how moist the actual cake turns out. It really is the very best banana pudding bundt cake I’ve ever had. And guess what, it’s up to you if you choose to make the cream cheese frosting. We like it both ways, but lately we’ve been enjoying it the most plain, without frosting!

 

A purple plate with a fat slice of banana pudding bundt cake and a smear of cream cheese frosting

Banana Pudding Cake Ingredients

The banana bundt cake itself is made with a cake mix. In my eyes, it’s okay to bust out a cake mix once in a while, so don’t feel bad if you’re usually all about homemade. I mean, we are adding fruit so that kind of balances things out, right?

In addition to the cake mix, here’s what you’ll need to make this banana pudding cake recipe:

  • Mashed bananas 
  • Boxed yellow cake mix
  • Instant banana pudding mix
  • Eggs
  • Water
  • Sour cream
  • Canola oil
  • Cream cheese
  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Heavy cream

What Type of Cake Mix Should I Use? 

To make this bundt cake recipe with cake mix, you can use either a white, yellow or butter cake mix. We tend to use yellow cake mix the most, with white cake mix coming in second. Yes, butter cake mix is always good, but for some reason we prefer the other two over it. 

A dark bundt pan with a beautiful, bright yellow banana pudding bundt cake

How to Make Banana Pudding Cake

This banana bundt cake couldn’t be easier to make! Here are the basic steps to making the best bundt cake recipe: 

  1. Whisk together cake mix and pudding mix. 
  2. Add eggs, water, sour cream, and oil. Mix until combined. 
  3. Fold in mashed bananas. 
  4. Pour the cake batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake until the top is golden and set. 
  5. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan, then flip onto wire rack. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before attempting to unmold. To unmold, place a large plate on top of the bundt pan and invert the pan in one fluid motion, holding the plate tight to the pan.
  6. Make cream cheese frosting and drizzle over cake, if desired. 

How to Get a Bundt Cake Out of a Pan

If your bundt cake is stuck in its pan, you have a few things you can try.:

Cool it on a wire rack — Often your cake just needs to thoroughly cool so place it on a cooling rack and walk away.

Place the bundt cake in the freezer — Putting your cake in the freezer for 2 hours will cause it to firm up and release from the sides of the pan. You may still need to run a thin knife around the edges to release it though. 

Bake it! — I know, you just did that, but letting it cool 20 minutes then sticking it back in a 250 degree oven for a few minutes will dry it out a little more so you can release it. We don’t love this method as we can get distracted and forget it in there.

Use a knife and rubber spatula — Sliding a thin knife around the upper edges and then a rubber spatula further down will help to release the cake.

A dark bundt pan with a beautiful, bright yellow banana pudding bundt cake

Why Is My Bundt Cake Stuck to the Pan?

There are a few reasons your banana bundt cake may be sticking to the pan. Here are a few common issues we’ve encountered over the years: 

You’re Using The Wrong Sized Pan

We learned this one the hard way, over and over again until we realized the problem. If a recipe calls for a 10-cup Bundt pan, and you only have a 15-cup Bundt pan, the risk of a delicate cake sticking increases.

When using a 10-cup pan, the batter will rise up and bake with lots of support from the pan’s center and outer edges to keep it from deflating. However, in a 15-cup pan, the cake is going to be short and stout. There’s a good chance the batter will cling to whatever part of the pan it can reach. Since it won’t be rising as high in the pan, it’ll essentially glue itself to the sides to keep from collapsing. That’s not what we want.

You’re Using a Non-Stick Pan

A non-stick pan does not mean it’s nonstick. It means that it will help whatever is baked not stick, but help is the key word. You still need to spray and possibly even flour your pan to keep things from sticking.

You’re Using a Sticky Pan

Any non-stick spray residue or general buildup will reheat when you bake again, turning into sticky cake-glue that will refuse to let go of anything you put in it. I know you know what I’m talking about. That sticky feeling is the worst on a pan.

A good cleaning of the pan after baking is essential to keep things ready for next time. Same with muffin tins, by the way. Also, Nordic Ware just started carrying a Bundt Brush, and for only a few bucks we are totally trying it out.

A dark grey platter with a banana pudding bundt cake slathered with cream cheese frosting

Do I Have to Use the Instant Pudding Mix?

Using a pudding box is an essential part of this recipe. Instant pudding contains a high amount of cornstarch, which helps to trap water and make for a moister cake. It also really pushes the dry ingredients to perform like a cake flour, light and fluffy and moist, versus an all-purpose flour, which is heavier and often doesn’t lead to a small, tender crumb.

We use a banana pudding mix as it really pushes that banana flavor home and gives an extra bit of tang to the recipe that you can’t help but love. We are excited to experiment with a few other pudding flavors, though. I noticed a cheesecake flavor the other day, which could be cool.

Can I Make Banana Pudding Cake Using Homemade Cake Mix?

Of course! In place of the boxed cake mix, you can use your favorite yellow or white cake recipe. Just be sure to add the wet ingredients instructed in the recipe card below and NOT the wet ingredients called for in whatever white or yellow cake recipe you’re using. 

Can I Freeze Banana Pudding Cake? 

Very easily! You can freeze the entire banana bundt cake or slice and freeze individual servings. Although you technically can freeze cream cheese frosting, we recommend freezing the cake unfrosted to ensure a better texture once thawed. You can freeze the cream cheese frosting separately, if desired, or wait to make a fresh batch when you thaw the cake. 

A purple plate with a fat slice of banana pudding bundt cake and a smear of cream cheese frosting

Tips for Making Banana Pudding Cake

If you’re in need of a new bundt pan, we’ve found the best bundt pan on the market! It’s this Nordic Ware bundt pan and the best price is online, so don’t go to one of its local stores.

To achieve the best flavor in this banana bundt cake recipe, you need to use super bananas that are covered in spots but that aren’t completely black all over. Overly dark bananas get too sweet and have a bit of a harshness to them. But perfectly ripe bananas lack that essential banana flavor that you need to stand out against the other ingredients in this banana pudding cake recipe. 

Also note that if you add too much sour cream, this banana bundt cake ends up like a pound cake so just be aware that our measurements are to keep it a light and fluffy bundt cake versus a pound cake.

A purple plate with a fat slice of banana pudding bundt cake and a smear of cream cheese frosting

More CAKE RECIPES You Have to Try:

More Delicious Bundt Cake Recipes

Best Banana Pudding Bundt Cake

4.09 from 279 votes
Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes

Description

I mean, yes we could have used a different title that isn't as long as, The Very Best Banana Pudding Bundt Cake I've Ever Had, but it's the moistest cake!

Ingredients 

For the Cake

  • 1 Cup Bananas , mashed over-ripe, (about 2 medium bananas)
  • 1 Box Cake Mix , yellow *see note
  • 3.4 ounces Pudding Powder , Jello banana cream instant (it's the small box)
  • 4 Eggs, large lightly beaten
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 3 Tablespoons Sour Cream
  • 1/4 Cup Canola Oil

For the Frosting

  • 4 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
  • 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • Dash of Vanilla
  • Dash of Heavy Cream

Instructions

For the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on the lower-middle position so the cake isn't too high in the oven.
  • Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix and instant pudding powder. Whisk to combine.
  • Add eggs, water, sour cream and oil. Whisk just until incorporated.
  • Using rubber spatula, fold in bananas just until combined; don’t over-mix.
  • Pour into prepared bundt pan, lightly shaking to even out the batter.
  • Bake 35-45 minutes, watching for the top to be lightly golden and a toothpick to only have a few crumbs and not batter attached.
  • Cool completely in pan on rack. Once cool, use a knife to separate cake from pan. Invert and remove cake to a platter.
  • Optional, drizzle with cream cheese frosting

For the Frosting

  • Using a hand mixer and a big bowl, whip the cream cheese until soft. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.

Notes

*You can use white, yellow or butter cake mix, but we tend to prefer yellow.
Bundt cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 55mgPotassium: 82mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 233IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: Easy Cake Recipes For Beginners
Cuisine: American

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A dark bundt pan with a beautiful, bright yellow banana pudding bundt cake