Warm Banana Pudding Cake

warm banana pudding cake is going straight to my personal recipe file!

I’ve made this amazing warm banana pudding cake twice and I’m already dreaming about making it again, it’s that good! If you’re wondering what exactly you’re looking at ~ allow me to explain. A rich, moist banana-cake batter bakes with a bourbon-laced maple and brown sugar syrup which pools at the bottom for a self-saucing dessert. It’s unbelievable served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or Chantilly cream. Or a warm custard sauce like the one I use on my Irish apple cake.

I served this to guests the other night and noticed that even the I don’t do dessert people were going back for seconds – so I knew I had a winner on my hands.

my self-saucing banana pudding cake has Canadian roots

This recipe is a riff on the traditional Canadian pudding chômeur, a homey self-saucing cake made with maple syrup. Pudding chômeur translates to “unemployed person’s pudding.” It originated in Quebec during the Great Depression in the 1930s when it was created by factory workers’ wives as an affordable, comforting dessert.

What does “self-saucing” mean? A self-saucing dessert is one that creates its own sauce while baking! Usually the dessert has two layers: a batter and a liquid component like syrup, caramel, or water. During baking the liquid component sinks and thickens at the bottom, forming a sauce, while the batter becomes a cake-like layer on top.

My warm lemon pudding cakes, and pumpkin pudding cakes are variations on this theme, baked in individual ramekins.

tips for getting the timing and the texture right

This warm banana pudding cake recipe consists of two very simple components – a batter and a syrup, that are baked together. You want to serve it at the right temperature to get that perfect saucy experience, so here are my best tips for success.

• You want to serve this cake pretty soon after taking it out of the oven. If mixing up a batter right before you sit down to dinner isn’t your thing, I suggest making the batter a couple of hours in advance and keeping it in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Then, simply whip up the syrup, which just takes a minute or two, assemble the dish and bake.
• Make sure you have the right size baker with high enough sides – at least 2 inches. This cake rises and the maple syrup sauce bubbles around the edges, so you don’t want any leaks. You can place your baking dish on top of a sheet pan for extra insurance against drips, too, but I didn’t have any trouble with mine overflowing.
• Don’t over bake. When I first made this recipe, I was thrown off by how jiggly the cake looked in the oven at the end of cooking, and was worried it was under-done. But when I looked carefully, I could see that actually the entire cake, which was cooked, was moving around on top of the sauce layer below it. Use the golden color of the baked cake as your indicator, and test it with a tooth pick if you are unsure. But remember there will be an ooey-gooey layer of pudding at the bottom, even when it’s fully baked.

serving suggestions for warm banana pudding cake

This dish doesn’t necessarily need any embellishments, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream never hurts.

ice cream: of course you could go with plain vanilla, but how about Gingerbread Ice Cream or Nutmeg Ice Cream? I think No Churn Bailey’s Ice Cream would be amazing.

whipped cream: plain whipped cream is a no-brainer, but think about this ~ add a dash of bourbon, a little maple syrup, or a sprinkle of cinnamon to liven it up. If you’ve been saving that lone vanilla bean, now is a great excuse to use it!

Note: serve this banana pudding cake while still warm!

Self-saucing cakes are typically best served warm, as the heat helps maintain the intended contrast between the soft, cake-like layer on top and the warm, gooey sauce underneath. When served warm, the sauce remains fluid and the cake light, making for the ideal texture and flavor combination.

They can still be enjoyed at room temperature, though the sauce may thicken or lose some of its smoothness. Reheating before serving ensures the sauce becomes liquid again and enhances the overall experience of the dessert. So while it’s not strictly necessary to serve them warm, it’s definitely preferred for the best taste and texture!

dietary substitutions and variation ideas

Gluten free banana pudding cake is easy, just sub in your favorite gluten free baking mix for the wheat flour.

For nut free just omit the nuts, there’s no need to make any other changes.

Go dairy free using a plant based milk and butter.

Omit the bourbon with no other changes necessary. You can use vanilla extract for another layer of flavor, if you like.

more ways to bake with banana!

• Banana Recipes to Make Now!
• Copycat Crumbl Banana Bread Cookies
• Nutella Banana Bread
• Banana Cake with Nutella Frosting
• My Favorite Banana Blondies
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Warm Banana Pudding Cake

5 from 4 votes

Warm Banana Pudding Cake is a deliciously unexpected fall dessert that bakes up in two layers: a light, fluffy banana pecan cake on top with a rich, warm maple sauce underneath. Yum!

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Prep Time:15 minutes minutes

Cook Time:40 minutes minutes

Total Time:55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

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Equipment

• 2 quart baking dish

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 Tbsp Bourbon (optional)
• 1/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F. Place a 2 quart baker onto a baking sheet and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Cut the butter into pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave using short bursts until it is melted. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, ripe bananas, and the melted butter. Mash together with a fork until well combined, some small pieces of banana are fine.
• Add the milk, egg, and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine.
• Add the flour mixture, and fold together until everything is just combined.
• Pour the batter into your baker.
• In another microwave safe bowl (I used the same one I used to melt the butter) combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, and hot water. Microwave for 1 minute.
• Take the syrup out of the microwave, add the bourbon, and give it a good stir.
• Pour the syrup over the batter. You don't have to be too careful about it, just try to pour it somewhat evenly over the batter. It will look like it's partially combining with the batter.
• Scatter the chopped pecans over the batter.
• Place the baking sheet with the baker on top in the oven, and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden.
• Remove, allow to cool for about 5 minutes, but plan to serve asap with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. If you wait for the cake to cool the sauce will start to reabsorb into the dessert.

Notes

• Make sure your baker has high enough sides to accommodate the batter and the syrup. Placing the baker on a baking sheet for cooking also ensures any small drips will be caught, though I did not have any issue with this. 

 

*Recipe adapted from Food & Wine

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Canadian/American

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: baking, banana cake, cake, dessert, fall, pudding cake

Nutrition

Calories: 378 kcal · Carbohydrates: 61 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 13 g · Saturated Fat: 6 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g · Trans Fat: 0.3 g · Cholesterol: 49 mg · Sodium: 100 mg · Potassium: 320 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 45 g · Vitamin A: 336 IU · Vitamin C: 0.1 mg · Calcium: 149 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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