This Banana Split Cake recipe has all the traditional toppings for a banana split. Canned pineapple, maraschino cherries, shredded coconut, bananas, and pecans are combined for an old-fashioned style cake. After the cake is baked in the oven, it’s topped with a homemade pineapple cream cheese frosting for another layer of yumminess. Top it with extra nuts, chocolate, and caramel for a fun take on the iconic ice cream dessert.
Old-Fashioned Banana Split Dump Cake
This is the moistest cake made from mashed bananas, pineapple, and maraschino cherries. It also has pecans, giving you everything you love about a classic banana split rolled into one cake. I bet it’s one your grandma would make – it’s making a comeback.
With buttermilk and oil along with juicy fruit you won’t get a dry cake with this recipe. Just like with a hummingbird cake, the pineapple adds both flavor and moisture.
The cake itself has the perfect balance of banana and pineapple, with extra pineapple flavor from the most amazing pineapple cream cheese frosting. The addition of shredded coconut to the cake creates a tropical flavor, which goes perfectly with the frosting.
All you really need to frost this wonderful cake is a homemade pineapple cream cheese frosting. It adds a creamy, tangy sweetness to the cake. If you forgot to save the pineapple juice, a cream cheese frosting will still be great on this cake, just add cream instead.
You can stop right there, but if you want to get really creative, drizzle some chocolate syrup or caramel sauce over the top, then sprinkle extra nuts for added texture and flavor.
You can even add a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top.
It’s a dessert that’s as fun to make as it is to eat and will have everyone asking for the recipe.
I can’t remember the last time I had a banana split can you? It was always a special treat growing up. Here you get all the great flavor combinations but in cake form and you don’t have to worry about the ice cream melting!
This is about as vintage as creamy banana pudding, a recipe your grandma may have made.
If you still have bananas hanging around, add them to a banana pudding with meringue when you need a cozy dessert.
Why This Recipe Works
- Nostalgic: The comforting flavors of a banana split give this cake a vintage, old-fashioned feel.
- Easy: This is basically a dump-and-go cake, so it’s easy to throw together when those banana split cravings strike.
- Crowd-pleasing: Everyone loves a classic banana split, so why wouldn’t they love it in cake form?
What You Need to Make an Old-Fashioned Banana Split Cake
- Pantry staples: You’ll need all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking soda, vanilla extract, salt, and eggs.
- Vegetable oil and buttermilk: This helps keep the cake super moist and fluffy. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk.
- Mashed bananas: Use ripe bananas for maximum sweetness.
- Chopped pecans: These add a bit of crunch. You can toast them if you like for extra flavor or substitute with walnuts.
- Sweetened shredded coconut: Adds a tropical flavor and a bit of texture.
- Crushed pineapple and maraschino cherries: These give the cake that iconic banana split flavor. It’s important to not only drain well but to pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture before adding them to the cake batter.
- Frosting: You’ll need full-fat, block-style cream cheese, powdered sugar, and the reserved pineapple juice.
How to Make Banana Split Cake
Step One: Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. No electric mixer needed.
Step Two: Add the Rest of the Batter Ingredients
Fold in the mashed bananas, chopped pecans, coconut, and vanilla to the batter. Then, drain and dry the pineapple and cherries and fold them into the batter.
Step Three: Bake the Cake
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer comes out clean. Let the cake cool for a bit before removing it from the pan.
Step Four: Make the Frosting
Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together, adding pineapple juice until it reaches the right consistency.
Step Five: Frost and Serve
Once the cake has cooled, spread or drizzle the frosting on top and add extra toppings if you’d like!
Recipe Variations
- Drizzle: Drizzle some chocolate syrup or hot fudge, on top of the cake. You can even add a little caramel sauce, too.
- Bananas: Add a few sliced bananas on top for a true banana split experience.
- Nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans will work for this recipe.
Tips
- Removing the cake: The trick to getting cakes out of a bundt pan is to thoroughly butter the pan using your hands to make sure all the crevices are coated, then flour it. Cooking spray or oil will work as well, but I have the best success with butter.
- Drain the liquid: You need to remove the liquid from the pineapple and the cherries; it’s more than just draining. I use a sieve to drain the crushed pineapple and then a paper towel to absorb any extra liquid.
- Don’t overmix the batter: When you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix gently and only until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense instead of light and fluffy.
- Check for doneness: Every oven is different, so keep an eye on your cake as it bakes. You want a skewer or toothpick to come out clean when inserted but don’t overbake it, or it might dry out.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Storage: Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap or pop into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to one week. You can also freeze individual slices for up to 3 months, letting them thaw in the fridge overnight before eating.
Make-ahead: You can bake the cake up to a day in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can also make the frosting up to one week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature and you may need to add more liquid to get it to run down the sides if it has been refrigerated.
Don’t Forget!
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Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 cups mashed bananas (4-5 bananas)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 16-oz jar maraschino cherries, chopped
Frosting:
- 8 ounce cream cheese room temp
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 tablespoons pineapple juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Generously grease and flour a bundt pan using soft unsalted butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and buttermilk. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
- Fold in the mashed bananas, pecans, coconut and vanilla.
- Drain the pineapple through a sieve, reserving the juice for the frosting. Press all of the juice out of the pineapple with a rubber spatula and then pat it dry with a paper towel, trying to remove as much juice as possible.
- Drain the cherries, chop them and pat with a paper towel. Fold the pineapple and cherries into the batter and spoon it into the prepared pan. Even out the top with an offset spatula and bake for 60-70 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out without any crumbs. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes then invert and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
- Place cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and beat with a hand held mixer until smooth and creamy. Add between 4-6 tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice a little at a time until you get the consistency you want. Spread or drizzle over the cooled cake.
Obviously, I am in love with Banana Split. Banana Split Latte, Banana Split Frappuccino, Banana Split Ice Cream…
This cake is the best.
It does incorporate al the flavors!, glad you liked it.
I made this for a church potluck. It disappeared so quickly. Everyone loved it. Definitely will make it again!!
It’s perfect for a potluck! Thanks for leaving a review.