If you are looking for a showstopping spring dessert, look no further than this 12-Layer Banana Pudding Crepe Cake! This cake is made of buttery crepes, creamy banana pudding, freshly sliced banana, and crushed vanilla wafer cookies.

About the recipe
One of my favorite desserts to make in the spring is this Banana Pudding Crepe Cake. It's perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, or any special springtime occasion.
I've been making and enjoying this cake for the past 4 years now and always love the experience of putting it together. Banana Pudding is such an iconic dessert in the South that I grew up enjoying, and developing a twist on this classic treat was so much fun!
When I was testing this dessert, I had just learned to make crepes and wanted to find a variety of recipes to use them in. It was the middle spring at the time, and banana pudding is a seasonal recipe that I make a point to make every April.
And that's how this fusion of banana pudding and crepes was born!
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Ingredients
Crepe batter:
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted and cooled, plus more for pan
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla pudding:
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons salted butter cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Assembly:
- 4 medium bananas, thinly sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 1 cup vanilla wafer cookies (like Nilla brand) crushed, plus more for garnish
It is essential for the texture and flavor of the crepes and pudding that you use whole milk. This is a special occasion dessert and not an occasion for cutting calories!
If you'd like to make this gluten-free, I recommend using Cup 4 Cup gluten-free flour blend and Kinnikinnick Vanilla Wafers cookies.
Equipment
- Fine-mesh sieve - you will need this to strain the pudding.
- Silicone spatula - a small one is perfect for flipping the crepes.
- 6-inch skillet - you can also use a 9-inch or 10-inch nonstick skillet for a larger cake with fewer layers.
- Offset spatula - this is used to spread the pudding on each crepe layer.
- Parchment paper - cut a round the size of your crepes to build the cake on.
Instructions
- Make the crepe batter - you will use a blender for this and it can be done up to one day ahead.
- Make the pudding - the pudding can also be made a day ahead and is cooked in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on the stovetop.
- Cook the crepes - I recommend a small 6-inch nonstick skillet for this. Feel free to use a larger skillet for a larger cake with fewer layers.
- Assemble the cake - the crepes must be completely cool and the pudding chilled before you start the cake assembly. You will assemble in this order: crepe, pudding, banana, cookie crumbs, repeat.
- Serve and enjoy - chill the cake for an hour or so to set before garnishing with cookies and slicing with a serrated knife.
Top tips
- Read the recipe in full before you start cooking to ensure you have everything you need and understand the steps. Cooking a new recipe is more if you know what you are getting into!
- Use ingredients as written in the recipe. I have not tested gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan substitutions and cannot guarantee results. See the ingredients section for a possible gluten-free solution.
- I prefer to make the crepe batter and vanilla pudding a day ahead. This breaks up the cooking process and makes this recipe less intimidating!
- When making crepes, keep in mind that it takes a little practice. The first two or three will not look so great, so use them as test samples. Your crepes will improve the more that you make!
- It is essential to use a nonstick pan for making crepes since they contain a bit of sugar and eggs. The nonstick coating allows for easy spreading, flipping, and lifting within the pan.
Serving Size
As written with the suggested equipment, this recipe makes a 6-inch, 12-layer crepe cake. It should serve 8 people. I've written the ingredient amounts to allow for some test crepes and a little extra pudding so you can have a few bites when it is warm off the stovetop. Trust me, you will want to taste it! You will need 2 cups of pudding saved for the cake.
If the size of your pan is different, you can make larger crepes according to the pan size. Just know that you may end up with fewer than twelve layers, but a gorgeous cake just the same!
Other spring desserts to enjoy:
- Fresh Lime Tart with Blackberry Sauce
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Buttercream Flowers
- Fresh Strawberry Balsamic Pie
- Spring Cutout Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
Are you ready to make this Banana Pudding Crepe Cake? Let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes! I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!
Recipe
12-Layer Banana Pudding Crepe Cake
Ingredients
For the crepes:
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted and cooled, plus more for pan
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the pudding:
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons salted butter cut into pieces
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the cake:
- 4 medium bananas, thinly sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 1 cup vanilla wafer cookies (like Nilla brand) crushed, plus more for garnish
Instructions
For the crepes (crepe batter can be made a day ahead):
- In a blender, combine the flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Blend on medium speed to combine. Scrape down the sides and add the butter. Blend again until well incorporated, about 1 minute. Refrigerate the batter in the blender jar for at least two hours and up to one day.
- Heat a 6-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Lightly coat the pan with a dab of butter. Using a small cookie dough scoop or ladle, add about 2 tablespoons of the batter to the bottom of pan. Use your hand to gently tilt the skillet in a circular motion to ensure the batter evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Cook the crepe until the edges begin to turn golden and the center looks dry. Use a rubber spatula to gently flip the crepe over and cook for about 30 seconds more. Transfer the crepe to a baking sheet to cool completely.
- Continue this process with the remaining batter and lay the crepes on baking sheets to cool. Cool crepes to room temperature before assembling the cake.
For the pudding (can be made a day ahead):
- Place a large fine mesh sieve over a medium, heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt by stirring with whisk. Gradually add the milk, whisking until combined and all the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in the egg yolks. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, cook the pudding until it thickens to the point that it coats the back of a wooden spoon. When you see the first bubble in the pudding, reduce the heat to low, stir and cook a minute more. The total cook time should be 10-12 minutes.
- Pour the pudding through the fine mesh sieve and into the bowl. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the top of the pudding surface and refrigerate for 4-6 hours until chilled or overnight.
For cake assembly:
- Line a cake pedestal with a 6-inch round of parchment paper. Place a dab of pudding in the center of the parchment round. Anchor the first crepe to the cake stand by placing it directly on top of the pudding dab.
- Using an offset spatula, evenly spread about two tablespoons of pudding on top of the first crepe. Place 7-8 banana slices on top, followed by sprinkling one tablespoon of the cookie crumbs on top of the banana. Place a crepe on top and repeat this process for the next eleven layers of cake. You should have twelve layers total, ending with pudding and crushed cookies on the very top. Refrigerated the cake for one hour and up to six hours to let it set before slicing. Place a few whole vanilla wafer cookies on the very top to garnish. Slice the cake using a serrated knife.
- Lightly cover any leftover cake and refrigerate. Enjoy for up to one additional day (the bananas may brown a little but it still tastes delicious!
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Notes
- The crepe batter makes enough for 14-15 crepes, which means you will have a few extra ones in case the first few that you cook don’t turn out too pretty! This is always the case with mine - the first 2-3 crepes are always the cook’s sample since they don’t look too great.
- You will also have a little extra pudding leftover, which means lots of sampling of the warm pudding before you chill it OR filling the ugly crepes with a little pudding for a snack. Either way, you win! Just make sure you reserve 2 cups of pudding for assembling the cake!
Keith @ How's it Lookin? says
Looks delicious, and such a cool presentation, thanks for sharing
Whitney Reist says
Thanks for stopping by, Keith!