Banana Custard Cake; moist and fluffy banana cake slathered in whipped vanilla custard buttercream frosting!
This banana custard cake is probably one of the most popular cakes I’ve ever baked, and yeah, I bake a lot of cakes.
It was baked as an experiment, with absolutely no idea if it would turn out too soggy or if it would rise at all, just to see if the classic British childhood pudding of sliced bananas and tinned custard fared well in a cake.
I brought it into the office for everyone to sample. It was gone by 9am and three people had emailed to ask for the recipe and one even requested I make it again for her to take to the Lake District for her family and friends, so yeah, I’d say it was a success!
A really simple moist and fluffy banana custard cake slathered in whipped vanilla custard buttercream icing. I don’t know if it’s the nostalgic flavour combination of sweet soft bananas and pastel yellow vanilla custard, or if I was just lucky with my measurements, but it’s safe to say that this cake is an all round winner that you’re bound to love!
If you’re new to baking, this really is a recipe for you. No fancy ingredients or tricky steps, just two simple layers of fluffy cake with clouds of sweet icing between and above them. Proper good cake, no faffing about.
For the banana custard cake layers, you’ll need to start by preheating your oven and greasing/lining two 20-25cm sandwich cake tins.
Place some butter/margarine, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and beat with a mixer or by hand until light and fluffy.
Add three eggs one at a time, beating between each addition until fully combined. Don’t worry if it looks a little curdled, mine almost always does, once you add the flour it will come right!
Mash a nice ripe banana and mix it into the batter, the more brown and spotty the banana, the better!
Sift some flour and a pinch of salt into the bowl along with half a small pot of custard (I used the little Ambrosia pots you can find in most supermarkets) and mix gently until everything is smooth and combined.
Scoop all the batter into the two prepared cake tins and smooth out the top as best you can.
Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes, until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre can be pulled out cleanly.
Allow the cakes to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing them from the tin to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the buttercream icing.
For the buttercream, beat together some butter, vanilla and some icing sugar until combined.
Add some more sugar and the remaining custard and beat vigorously until fully incorporated, light and pale in colour.
Once the cake is completely cool and your icing is ready, slather the top of one sponge with buttercream.
Sandwich it with the other sponge.
Spread the top sponge with buttercream, swirling it or spiking it up if you like.
Grate over some chocolate or decorate the cake however you like.
Now get a big old knife, slice this cake into nice big wedges and sink your teeth into the soft, sweet, cosy flavours of banana and vanilla custard. I dare you not to love it!
Scroll down for the full recipe for this yummy Banana Custard Cake!
Banana Custard Cake
Moist and fluffy banana custard cake slathered in whipped vanilla custard buttercream icing!
Notes
BE A MAVERICK: why not add a layer of salted caramel under the frosting of this Banana Custard Cake to give it banoffee vibes?
This Banana Custard Cake will keep well in an airtight container or under a covered cake stand for up to 4 days. You don't have to keep it refrigerated unless you live somewhere particularly warm!
Ingredients
For the banana custard cake:
- 200g (13 tbsp) softened butter/margarine
- 180g (scant 1 cup) caster sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ripe banana
- 230g (1 ¾ cups) self-raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- ½ a small pot (about 60g or ¼ cup) of fresh custard (such as Ambrosia)
For the vanilla buttercream icing:
- 150g (10 tbsp) softened butter
- 250g (scant 2 cups) icing sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ a small pot (about 60g or ¼ cup) of fresh custard (such as Ambrosia)
Instructions
For the banana custard cake:
- Preheat your oven - 180°C / 160°C / 350°F / gas mark 4.
- Grease / line two 20-25cm sandwich cake tins.
- Place your butter/margarine, sugar and vanilla into a large bowl and beat with a mixer or by hand until light and fluffy.
- Add your eggs one at a time, beating between each addition until fully combined. Don't worry if it looks a little curdled, once you add the flour it will come right!
- Mash your banana and mix it into the batter.
- Sift your flour and salt into the bowl along with the custard and mix gently until everything is smooth and combined.
- Scoop all the batter into the two prepared cake tins and smooth out the top as best you can.
- Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes, until firm and a skewer inserted into the centre can be pulled out cleanly.
- Allow the cakes to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing them from the tin to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the buttercream icing.
For the buttercream:
- Beat together the butter, the vanilla and half the icing sugar until combined.
- Add the remaining sugar and the custard and beat vigorously until fully incorporated, light and pale in colour.
- Once the cake is completely cool and your icing is ready, slather the top of one sponge with buttercream.
- Sandwich it with the other sponge.
- Spread the top sponge with buttercream, swirling it or spiking it up if you like.
- Grate over some chocolate or decorate the cake however you like.
- Now just slice and enjoy!
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Hands down my house-favourite. Such a great recipe and very precise instructions – thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks so much for such a nice comment – glad to hear you enjoy!