I have the perfect July 4th recipe for you this week: Easy and Delicious Banana Split Cake! I went live on Facebook Wednesday evening to show how simple this picnic/party dessert is to put together, and I’m really hoping that some of you try it for the 4th.
We’ve been making Banana Split Cake in my family since I was about 13 or14 years old – of course, back in the stone ages we didn’t have a stand mixer like I do now, and the filling needed to be whipped for twenty minutes! Yes, that’s not a typo, twenty minutes. This, of course, meant that while we loved (and I do mean LOVED) this cake, we didn’t make it terribly often, and when we did, it was a family affair and we took turns with the mixer.
SO Delicious!
Now that practically everyone and their brother (although not my brother) has a stand mixer, this cake is ready for the masses! It’s much easier to make and I did the entire thing live in about 30 minutes. That’s right, from the first measuring cup of graham crackers to placing it in the fridge – 30 tiny minutes!
This recipe has been in our family for about 40 years but this was the first time I’d had it in about 25 – It’s as good as I remember, and if the ladies at Laura’s Beads have anything to say about it, I’ll be making it again soon! It’s definitely a crowd pleaser!
Try it – you’ll love it! I’ve embedded the live video below if you’d like to see it step by step.
| Servings |
|
- 1 1/4 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter room temp
- 2 ea. Eggs
- 2 tsp Vanilla I used vanilla bean paste
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 Can Crushed Pineapple large can, drained
- 3 ea. Bananas cut in about 1/4" slices
- 1 Container Cool Whip large container
- 2 oz. Chopped Walnuts
- Maraschino Cherries for garnish, if desired
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
Filling
Other ingredients
|
|
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees - you'll need it to bake the graham cracker crust.
- Melt 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave - 30 seconds should do it.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Mix with a fork until a sandy consistency.
- Pour into a 9x13 pan and spread evenly. Pat down gently with your hand (gloved, or impeccably clean) and then use the bottom of a heavy spatula to press tightly and evenly.
- Bake for 7 minutes and cool completely before adding the filling. (I let mine cool for 5 minutes on the counter and then pop in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
- In the bowl of a your stand mixer (I use a Kitchenaid), add the butter, eggs, and vanilla - beat on low for a few minutes to incorporate slightly.
- Add the 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and turn up to medium for a minute or two.
- Scrape down again and mix on high for 6-8 minutes, until there is plenty of air incorporated and the filling becomes lighter in volume.
- Spread evenly over the graham cracker crust.
- Spread the crushed pinapple evenly over the filling.
- Slice the bananas and layer them over the pinapple.
- Spread a generous amount of the Cool Whip over the banana layer (I used almost the entire container), making sure to take it right up to the edges of the pan.
- Sprinkle the walnuts on the top.
- Cover tightly and refridgerate overnight.
- Add cherries before serving, if desired.
- You can make this without a stand mixer, but you must whip the filling for a full 20 minutes.
- Don't bother tasting the filling when it is done - it's very sweet. It's the addition of the other ingredients that brings out the flavor of this dessert - it truly is the sum of it's parts!