Banana Split Cake with pineapple and cherries and no leftovers

Banana Split Cake: This is a popular dessert that combines the taste of pineapple, bananas, cherries with cake, and pudding. Add chocolate syrup and pecans and you have a delicious ending to any meal. Don’t expect leftovers.

Margaret Duvall, served this cake at family gatherings. She found this recipe in a Damascus Volunteer Fire Department cookbook and was credited to Carol Hodiak, Margaret’s niece.

bananasplitcake 008Banana Split Cake: Duvall Family, Pasadena, Maryland

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 package instant vanilla pudding
  • 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, chilled and drained
  • 3 large bananas, sliced
  • 1 medium container Cool Whip, 13 ½ oz.
  • 1 can Hershey’s chocolate syrup
  • Maraschino cherries
  • Pecans
  • 1 ½ cup milk

Cake: Bake 1 box cake mix in a 13 x 9 x2 inch pan for 15 to 20 minutes or until done at 350 degrees. Cool cake.

Pudding Layer: Mix the softened cream cheese, dry pudding mix and 1 ½ cups milk together; pour over cooled cake.

Top Layer: On top of the pudding layer, place a layer of the drained pineapple, sliced bananas and Cool Whip. Drizzle on chocolate syrup; top with cherries and sprinkle pecans over all. Chill.

The following is a more traditional variation of Banana Split Cake but without a cake mix as the base. The one problem I find with this recipe is the use of raw eggs in the finished product. I don’t recommend this recipe because raw eggs can be a health hazard, but I decided to include this version because it is so popular. During my research, I found versions of this recipe in almost every Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia church or volunteer fire department cookbook.

Banana Split Cake 1970s-1980s

  • 1 stick melted butter
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 sticks soft margarine
  • 4 large bananas
  • 1 (15 ½ oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 large container Cool Whip
  • Almonds

Layer out the following in a 9x13x2 pan. Mix together the melted butter and graham crumbs and press into pan. Beat on medium speed: the sugar, eggs, soft margarine and put on top of cracker mixture. Slice bananas and add on top of mixture. Add the crushed pineapple, drained. Cover with Cool Whip. Sprinkle with almond. Refrigerate overnite or several hours. So good and full of calories.

Hints for the cook by the Women of the ELCA , Emmitsburg, Maryland, 2010

  1. Boil all vegetables that grow above ground without a cover.
  2. To prevent pasta from boiling over, place a wooden spoon or fork across the top of the pot while the pasta is boiling.
  3. To prevent cheese from sticking to a grater, spay the grater with cooking spray before beginning.
  4. A little vinegar or lemon juice added to potatoes before draining will make them extra white when mashed.