Banana Poke Cake

Hi y’all– I think this cake is banana’s answer to strawberry short cake– it’s chock full of bananas, creamy pudding and topped with crunchy almonds.  So likable!  I think you would want to get acquainted with it yourself. Here it is:

BANANA POKE CAKE
1 yellow cake mix
canola oil
3 eggs
large size banana pudding mix
(cook & serve style, not instant)
2 1/2 cups milk
3 bananas
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 heaping tsp. powdered cugar
1 tsp. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup toasted almonds*
1/3 cup sugar

.   .   .   .            .   .   .   .

Mix up the cake mix according to the directions on the box.  Spoon the batter into a 9″x13″ pan or a large 11″ round springform pan, that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until it comes out firm to the touch.

While the cake is cooking, put the banana pudding mix and the 2 1/2 cups milk into a pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until it comes to a boil and thickens.  Then take a wooden spoon handle and poke holes all over the top of your cake.  Carefully spoon the hot pudding onto the cake, patting it down into the holes.  Then set it in the fridge to cool.

When the pudding is cool, use the mixer to whip the cream with the powdered sugar and the instant vanilla pudding.  Top the cake with the bananas, sliced into nice little rounds.  And then pile on the whipped cream.

Then toss the almonds and sugar in to a nonstick pan and cook them over medium high heat until the sugar melts and gets caramel-y and coats the almonds.  Spoon them out of the pan onto a piece of foil.  When they are completely cooled, sprinkle them over the whipped cream.  You’re done!  …and it’s so pretty.