Description
Delightful banana icebox cake brings layers of creamy goodness to your dessert table. Chilled graham crackers and ripe bananas create a simple, irresistible treat you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large bananas, sliced
- 2 cups (480 ml / 16 fl oz) cold heavy cream
- 1 box (11 oz / 312 g) vanilla wafers (Nilla Wafers or similar)
- 1 package (3.4 oz / 96 g) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml / 12 fl oz) cold milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional, for sweetness)
- crushed vanilla wafers (for garnish)
- banana slices (for garnish)
- whipped cream (for garnish)
Instructions
- Pudding Preparation: Whisk vanilla pudding mix with cold milk in a large bowl, blending until a smooth, creamy consistency develops within two minutes of stirring.
- Whipped Cream Creation: Beat heavy cream with vanilla extract and powdered sugar until firm, glossy peaks form, creating a light and airy topping.
- Cream Fusion: Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the pudding mixture, maintaining a delicate texture and creating a silky, luxurious base for the icebox cake.
- Layering Construction: Alternate layers of creamy pudding mixture and thinly sliced bananas in a rectangular dish, ensuring even distribution and complete coverage of each layer.
- Chilling and Melding: Refrigerate the assembled dessert for at least 4 hours or overnight, allowing flavors to meld and bananas to soften, transforming the separate ingredients into a cohesive, cool dessert.
- Final Presentation: Top the chilled cake with remaining whipped cream, creating an elegant finish that adds a light, decorative element to the dessert before serving.
Notes
- Milk Temperature Matters: Use cold milk when mixing pudding to ensure a smooth, lump-free cream and achieve the perfect consistency quickly.
- Whip Cream Precisely: Beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overwhip, which can turn the cream grainy and separate.
- Fold Gently: Use a light, careful folding technique when combining pudding and whipped cream to preserve the airy, delicate texture of the dessert.
- Banana Ripeness Tip: Choose ripe but firm bananas to prevent browning and maintain structural integrity when layering in the icebox cake.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg