Description
Creamy banana pudding tres leches cake marries Southern comfort with Latin American dessert magic. Layers of moist cake, silky pudding, and three milks create a sweet symphony that delights senses and brings pure indulgence to your plate.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
Cake Base:
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid Ingredients:
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 1–2 ripe bananas)
- 1 cup cold milk
Topping and Garnish:
- 1 box (3.4 ounces) instant banana pudding mix
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup crushed vanilla wafers
- Banana slices (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, whisking thoroughly.
- Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale yellow and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes using an electric mixer.
- Incorporate whole milk and vanilla extract into the egg yolk mixture, stirring until uniform.
- In a separate clean bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually adding remaining sugar while beating until stiff peaks develop.
- Delicately fold egg whites into yolk mixture, then gently integrate dry ingredients without deflating the batter.
- Transfer batter to prepared baking dish, smoothing the surface evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick emerges clean and top appears golden brown.
- Prepare tres leches liquid by whisking evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and mashed bananas in a large measuring container.
- After cooling briefly, perforate cake surface with a fork. Gradually pour tres leches mixture, ensuring complete absorption. Refrigerate covered for minimum 2 hours.
- Create banana pudding by blending pudding mix with cold milk until thickened, approximately 2 minutes.
- Whip cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Separately, whip heavy cream to stiff peak consistency.
- Fold banana pudding into cream cheese mixture, then gently incorporate whipped cream until seamless.
- Distribute pudding topping uniformly across soaked cake. Sprinkle crushed vanilla wafers over surface.
- Optional: Garnish with banana slices immediately before serving. Slice and enjoy chilled, storing leftovers in refrigerator.
Notes
- Choose ripe, soft bananas for the most intense banana flavor and natural sweetness in your cake.
- Ensure egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks without over-mixing to maintain the cake’s light, airy texture.
- Use room temperature ingredients to help create a smoother, more evenly mixed batter and prevent lumps.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking blend or almond flour.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg