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Banana Split Cake
Yield: 14 servings
A slice of banana split cake is the best way to have the flavor of a banana split sundae without any melting! Moist banana cake layers filled with homemade strawberry filling, iced with vanilla buttercream frosting, chocolate ganache, rainbow sprinkles, and maraschino cherries. An impressive and delicious dessert!
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (164 g) vegetable oil
- 3 (3) eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp (8 g) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (58 g) sour cream room temperature
- 2 cups (300 g) mashed, ripe banana approximately 4-5 bananas
- 2 ½ cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp (12 g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt
Strawberry Filling
- 12 oz (340 g) frozen strawberries
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 g) lemon juice
- 1 tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
- 1 tbsp (15 g) water
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cup (454 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
- ½ tsp (3 g) salt
- 1 tbsp (13 g) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60 g) heavy cream
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup (90 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60 g) heavy cream
Additional Ingredients
- ½ cup (80 g) rainbow sprinkles
- maraschino cherries
Instructions
Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare three 7-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment circles.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, and mashed banana. Whisk until smooth.
- Add in baking powder, salt and all-purpose flour. Whisk until well combined.
- Portion cake batter into prepared cake pans and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes until the cakes bounce back when gently touched or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cake pans from the oven and allow the cake layers to cool in the pan for approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake layers from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Level the cake layers with a serrated knife to remove the cake domes to create flat cake layers.
Strawberry Filling
- In a saucepan, combine frozen strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice over medium-low heat on the stove.
- Simmer until the strawberries have broken down and are bubbling. Use a wooden spoon to break up the strawberries.
- In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water.
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the strawberry mixture and stir to combine. Immediately remove from the heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before transferring to a bowl and chilling in the fridge for at least one hour before use.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Add room temperature butter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the butter is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
- Add vanilla extract and salt and mix on low until combined.
- Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
- Once the heavy cream is added, turn the speed on the mixer to medium and mix for an additional 3 minutes until smooth.
Chocolate Ganache
- Add chocolate chips to a heat-proof medium bowl.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat heavy cream for about 30-45 seconds until bubbling.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes.
- Stir the chocolate/cream mixture until smooth and shiny. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or piping bag and cool slightly before adding to the cake.
Assembling the Banana Split Cake
- Place first banana cake layer on an 8-inch cake board. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin, even layer of vanilla buttercream frosting over the cake. Use a piping bag to pipe a thick ring of vanilla buttercream around the edges of the cake.
- Add strawberry filling inside the buttercream border. Spread the filling evenly with an offset spatula.
- Add the second cake layer on top of the strawberry filling. Repeat the above process, adding a thin layer of frosting, a buttercream border, and the strawberry filling. Add the final cake layer, bottom side up.
- Spread a thin layer of buttercream frosting (crumb coat) over the top and sides of the cake using an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to smooth out the frosting and remove excess buttercream.
- Chill the cake for 30 minutes to firm up the buttercream frosting.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake with the vanilla buttercream using an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to smooth out frosting on the top and sides of the cake. If desired, add a rainbow sprinkle skirt on the bottom of the cake.
- Chill the cake for an additional 15 minutes to firm up the buttercream.
- Use a squeeze bottle to create a chocolate ganache drip down the sides of the cake. Immediately add some rainbow sprinkles onto the chocolate ganache drips.
- Pipe swirls of vanilla buttercream frosting around the top edges of the cake using a Wilton 1M piping tip. Add additional rainbow sprinkles and maraschino cherries onto the buttercream swirls.
Notes
Banana split cake can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Cover exposed cake with plastic wrap to prevent from drying out. Serve at room temperature.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
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