Banana Split Cake

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Today we are sharing the most delicious Banana Split Cake with you. It has jumped to the top of our list summertime favorites!

If you love banana cake recipes, you will love this fun twist with so many delicious flavors.

This Banana Split Layer Cake Recipe is the best! Banana Cake Layers are filled with strawberries, pineapple, whipped cream cheese frosting & chocolate. So good!

Inspired by a Banana Split, this ultra moist banana split cake has amazing flavor, with a filling of pineapple, strawberries, whipped cream cheese frosting & chocolate sandwiched between soft and flavorful banana cake layers. 

Whether you are looking for summer cakes or birthday cake ideas, this banana split layer cake is sure to please a crowd.

How to Make a Banana Split Layer Cake

Make sure to check out the full, printable Banana Split Cake recipe card further down in this post. Here is a quick look at our steps!

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, grease and flour three 8x2 inch round pans. You could use two 9 inch pans it you do not have 8 inch pans.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds, set aside.
  • In another bowl, add the wet ingredients: buttermilk, vanilla and mashed bananas.  Blend and set aside.
  • In the bowl of your mixer, add the slightly softened butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy. 
  • Add the eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
  • With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid.)  Mix just until well blended- be careful not to over-mix.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Cake is done with a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.  Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes on a cooling rack before turning out.

Assembly

In addition to our banana cake layers, the stars of todays cake are our luscious whipped cream cheese frosting, drained, crushed pineapple, sliced strawberries, and decadent dark chocolate ganache. With this amazing combination of flavors, you can't go wrong.

Banana Split Cake filling ingredients.

To assemble the cake, place the first cake layer on your pedestal or cake base. 

Next, spread with a layer of the whipped cream cheese frosting. This frosting recipe is SO good and has a light, luscious consistency that is similar to whipped cream, but is more stable. Here's a closeup!

I like to pipe a dam of frosting around the top edge of the cake (about ½ inch from the edge) before filling with fruit to help keep everything contained.

Spread the *drained*, crushed pineapple and strawberry slices on top. 

Banana Split Layer Cake Recipe- This recipe is the best!

Next, drizzle with a little of the chocolate ganache. (I drizzle my ganache by spooning it into a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away so that I have more control.)

Add the next banana cake layer and repeat the steps for filling, finishing with the third layer of banana cake.

Fill in any gaps between the cake layers with frosting (I use a piping bag with the tip snipped away for this) and frost with the remaining whipped cream cheese frosting.

Decorating the Banana Split Cake

For a smooth finish, I spread on the frosting with an offset spatula, then smooth over it with a bench scraper.

If you still want it smoother, you can freeze the frosted cake tier for about 15 minutes to firm things up, and the go over it once more with a heated bench scraper, adding fresh frosting as needed. This is often referred to as the hot knife method of smoothing.

Adding the Ganache Drip

Finally, add the ganache drip! We used a dark chocolate ganache drip (equal parts chocolate & heavy cream by weight), heated in the microwave in small increments until melted and smooth.

Consistency of Ganache: If the ganache is too runny, allow to cool a few more minutes. If it is too thick, it needs do be warmed a bit more (just a few seconds at a time in the microwave).

You can find lots of great information on making and applying a ganache drip in our Ganache Drip Tutorial.

We applied our ganache using a disposable piping bag, but you could also simply spoon it over the cake, just as with our Easy Boston Cream Pie!

Banana Split Cake with Ganache, assembly.

As a final touch, I used an 8B french tip to pipe cream cheese frosting around the top and added maraschino cherries! I love the look!

*We did not use nuts in this cake but some banana splits do have either pecans or peanuts- if you'd like another layer of flavor, you can sprinkle some on top or in the filling!

This Banana Split Layer Cake recipe is the best! This is the perfect summertime cake!

Recipe FAQs

Yes, because of the fruit, cream, and cream cheese, this cake should be refrigerated (in an airtight container, under a cake dome, or sealed in a bakery box).

However, for the very best flavor and texture, remove the cake from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving. This will allow time for the cake to warm and soften.

Yes, just as with the majority of our cakes from Italian Cream Cake to lemon cake, white velvet cake and more, these cake layers freeze beautifully.

Allow the baked banana cake layers to cool until slightly warm (or room temperature), and the wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. For added support you can place each layer on a foil wrapped cake board if you'd like. They will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months!

To thaw, move the wrapped, frozen cake layers to the kitchen counter. Remove the wrapping after 30-45 minutes or so. Then, continue to warm to desired amount for decorating. (Some decorators prefer to assemble their cakes while the layers are still partially frozen as they are less fragile.)

Using buttermilk rather than regular milk adds a boost of acidity to the cake batter. This softens the strands of gluten, which makes for a softer, more tender cake. Our vanilla buttermilk cake, buttermilk pound cake, and key lime pound cake are just a few more examples of delicious buttermilk cake recipes!

Cake flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour. This lessens the development of gluten in the cake batter, which makes for a more tender crumb.

Many of our favorite cake recipes contain cake flour, including orange cake, strawberry cake, pistachio cake, and more.

More Banana Cakes

If you love banana cakes, don't miss these other great recipes! Aside from today's Banana Split Cake, some of our most popular are our Banana Pudding Cake, Hummingbird Cake, Banana Pudding Cupcakes, and Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!

If you love pineapple, another star player in this dessert, keep our pineapple cake, pineapple upside down bundt cake, and pina colada cake recipes in mind as well!

Thanks so much for stopping by! We hope that you enjoy this moist banana split cake. We would love for you to check out our full collection of hundreds of cake recipes, which includes cake recipes from scratch as well as cake mix recipes.

We also have a huge collection of free cake decorating video tutorials. You'll find all sorts of designs from birthday cake design ideas to holiday cakes, elegant cakes, baby shower cakes, and more.

This Banana Split Layer Cake recipe is the best!

Banana Split Layer Cake Recipe

This Banana Split Layer Cake recipe is the best! Moist banana cake layers are filled with whipped cream cheese frosting ,sliced strawberries, pineapple, and a chocolate drip!
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
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Ingredients

For the Banana Cake

  • 2 cups white sugar (400g)
  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (170g) Not overly soft, but it should dent easily when pressed.
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature If in a hurry, place in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
  • 3 cups cake flour (see notes for substitution) (342g)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder (12g)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda (3g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
  • 1 1 /2 cup mashed bananas about 3 bananas
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk (363g)

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened We used two 8 oz packages, full fat.
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sift then measure (230g)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g)
  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream (696g)

Fruit in the Filling

  • Sliced Strawberries approximately 3-5 strawberries per layer of filling
  • 16 oz Crushed Pineapple, drained (we used two drained 8 oz cans)

Ganache Filling and Drip

  • 6 oz Chocolate (Semi-sweet or Dark) We used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate (171g)
  • 6 oz Heavy Cream (171g)

Decorative Details

  • Maraschino cherries with stems
  • 8 B french tip or similar large star piping tip (Optional) Optional)
  • Tip 21 for small shell border around base (Optional)

Instructions

For the Banana Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8x2 inch round pans. You could use two 9 inch pans it you do not have 8 inch pans.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds, set aside.
  • In another bowl, add the buttermilk, vanilla and mashed bananas.  Blend and set aside.
  • In the bowl of your mixer, add the slightly softened butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy. 
  • Add the eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
  • With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid.)  Mix just until well blended- be careful not to over-mix.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Cake is done with a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.  Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes on a cooling rack before turning out.

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters 15 minutes before whipping the cream (30 minutes if chilling in the refrigerator.  Use the whisk attachment for a stand mixer, beaters on your hand mixer. 
  • Beat the cream until stiff peaks form.  This can happen very quickly so don't walk away from the mixer.  You are at the stiff peak stage when you lift the beater and the cream stands straight up forming a peak. Keep in the refrigerator while completing the next step.  
  • In another bowl combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Beat until very smooth.  Fold this into the whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate.  If you are piping this frosting and it becomes too soft, just refrigerate the filled piping bag for a short while.  
  • It is best to use this on your cake the same day it is made.   

For the Ganache Filling and Drip

  • Place your chocolate into a microwave safe bowl.
  • Pour heavy cream over the chocolate and place in the microwave for 1 minute. (Times may vary, see our note below).
  • Remove and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds more and when the chocolate has melted almost completely, allow it to sit for 1 minute more before stirring. Stir until you've reached a silky smooth consistency.
  • *Microwave times may vary. If you are making a smaller amount of ganache, you will reduce the microwave time. If your chocolate hasn't melted after the 1 ½ minutes recommended in the instructions, simply microwave in small 10-15 second increments until it has nearly completely melted. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth.
  • Allow finished ganache to cool until it is a good consistency for dripping. (You can test this on the inside of your bowl. If it moves too quickly down, let it thicken a little more.

Assembly of Cake

  • Place first cake layer on the pedestal or cake base.
  • Spread with a layer of whipped cream cheese frosting. Top with a layer of sliced strawberries and crushed pineapple- I like to keep the fruit filling about ½ inch from the edge of the cake. I piped a dam of frosting to help keep everything contained. Drizzle the filling with ganache (I piped mine through a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away).
  • Repeat the above steps for the next layer of cake, and then top with the final cake layer.
  • Fill in any gaps between the assembled layers with the whipped cream cheese frosting (I fill a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away for this step). Then, frost as usual.
  • This frosting doesn't smooth in quite the same way as buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting due to the whipped consistency, but a bench scraper is helpful in smoothing the frosting as you rotate it. For an even smoother look, you can chill the frosted cake in the freezer for 15 minutes or so and then fine tune with a heated spatula.
  • When you're ready to apply the ganache (I did this on a chilled cake), spoon it into a disposable piping bag and snip the tip away.
  • Pipe drips around the top edge of the cake, and then spoon additional ganache on top of the cake and spread with a spatula (to meet up with the drips that you've piped).
  • Finally, I piped french tip stars with an 8B tip, placed cherries in each one, and added a small shell border around the base.

Notes

If you prefer to work with cake mixes, we have a Banana Layer Cake- Doctored Mix recipe that can be used in place of our scratch banana layers!
Substitution for cake flour: Measure out 3 cups of all purpose (plain in the UK) flour. You will be removing 2 Tablespoons flour per cup so for this recipe,
Remove 6 Tablespoons of the flour and replace it with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch (corn flour in the UK) Whisk to blend .
Substitute for Buttermilk:  To a measuring cup, add 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice.  Add milk  to the  1 ½ mark, stir.   Wait 5 minutes and it is ready to use.
 
**Originally, this recipe used the reverse creaming method of mixing (but had the same ingredients). If you prefer the reverse creaming method, see our Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting for instructions on mixing the cake batter.
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