Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

¾ cup unsalted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup whole buttermilk

½ cup mashed ripe bananas

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9×13 inch pan.  Beat butter and sugar together in a mixer at medium speed until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternating with the buttermilk.  Begin and end with with the flour mixture.  Add mashed bananas and vanilla beating until just combined.  Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake on 350 degrees for about 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean.  
• Let cool for 5 minutes.  Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes halfway through all over warm cake.  

Pudding:

1 cup sugar

½ cup all purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

8 large egg yolks

3 ½ cups whole milk, divided

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt.  Whisk in egg yolks and ½ cup milk until smooth.  
• In a large saucepan, heat remaining 3 cups milk over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until bubbles form around sides of pan.  Do not boil.  
• Slowly add 1 cup hot milk into sugar mixture, whisking constantly.  Whisk sugar mixture into remaining hot milk in saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened.  
• Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.  Let cool for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.  Spread warm pudding all over cake.  Cover and refrigerate until cold – at least 4 hours.  

Topping:

3 medium bananas, sliced

2 cups heavy whipping cream

6 Tablespoons confectioners sugar

½ cup crushed vanilla wafers

Vanilla wafers for garnishing

• Just before serving, top cake with sliced bananas. Whip heavy whipping cream until stiff peak forms.  Stir in confectioners sugar.  Spread over sliced bananas.  Sprinkle top with crushed wafers and make a border around cake with whole wafers.