Banana Split Birthday Cake

Thank you for your lovely comments regarding Cake Expectations.  You were so kind, supportive and enthusiastic and you didn’t even mention the less than average photography – very good of you!

I’ve had a few requests for the recipe for the Banana Split cake so I’ll share that with you today.  I would however, strongly recommend that if you are interested in making amazing cakes for your children, that you purchase one of the cake cookbooks from the Australian Women’s Weekly.  This recipe is from The Australian Women’s Weekly, Party Cakes for All Occasions cookbook and I’m sure it can be shipped to anywhere in the world.

Banana Split Birthday Cake


The Banana Split cake looks more challenging than it really is.  It’s actually quite forgiving and any flaws can be easily concealed.  This is a great cake to start with if you’re not used to making much more than a square or circle decorated in lollies because in terms of difficulty it truly is just another small step.

One thing I always do is make my cakes a few days ahead so there is time to freeze the cake.  A frozen cake is always easier to cut and ice – you won’t be dragging cake crumbs through the icing if the cake has been frozen.

So do give this a try and I’d love to hear how the banana split turned out for you.

Banana Split

One very happy customer

Serves:  10-20 young people

Degree of Difficulty:  3/5

Cost:  This cake can be made for around $20.00

  • 3 x 345g (12.2 oz) packets buttercake mix
  • 2 quantities fluffy frosting
  • 1 sponge roll
  • yellow, rose pink and brown colourigs
  • chocolate-flavoured Ice Magic
  • 2 wafer biscuits
  • red glace cherries
  • marshmallows

Make cakes according to directions on packets.  Two-thirds fill 3 greased muffin pans (1/3 cup capacity) with mixture.  Spread remaining mixture into greased 32cm (12 inch) long oval cake pan.  Bake cakes in moderate oven (180C/375F) for about 20 minutes, remove small cakes.  Bake large cake about further 40 minutes or until firm; cool cakes on wire racks.

This is when I would wrap the cakes in cling wrap and freeze.

Scoop out centre of oval cake, leaving 3cm (1 inch) edge.  Discard cake scraps.

Cut sponge roll into quarters (I would have frozen this as well), trim 1 end of each quarter to a curved shape.

Place oval cake on prepared board, spread with half the frosting, reserve 1/4 cup frosting.  Tint two-thirds of remaining frosting yellow.

Spread sponge roll lengths with yellow frosting, position on cake as shown.

Spread 1 small cake with reserved white frosting.  Divide remaining frosting in half, tint pink and brown.  Spread remaining cakes with both frostings.  Lift cakes into position on bananas.  decorate with Ice Magic, waters, cherries and marshmallows.

Now, where are the candles?

Fluffy Frosting: (You will need double quantity)

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 egg whites

Combine sugar and water in small saucepan, stir constantly with a wooden spoon over heat, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved.  Boil, uncovered, without stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly thick but not coloured.

If a candy thermometer is available, the syrup should reach 114C/240F when it is ready to use.

Otherwise test the syrup by dropping 1 tsp into a cup of cold water.  The syrup should form a ball of soft sticky toffee when rolled gently between your fingertips.

If testing syrup in water, remove pan from heat when syrup falls from spoon in a heavy drop; allow bubbles to subside, then test in cold water.  They syrup should not change colour; if it does, it has been cooked for too long and you will have to throw out that batch and start again.

While syrup is boiling, beat egg whites in a small bowl with electric mixer until stiff, keep beating (or whites will deflate) while syrup is reaching the correct temperature.

When syrup is ready, allow bubbles to subside, pour a very thin stream onto the egg whites while mixer is operating on medium speed.

If syrup is added too quickly to the egg whites, frosting will not thicken.  Continue beating and adding syrup until all syrup is used.  Continue to beat until frosting stands in stiff peaks (frosting should be only warm at this stage).

For best results, frosting should be applied to the cake on the day it is to be served, while frosting is beautifully soft with a marshmallow consistency.  The cake can be frosted the day before; however, frosting will become crisp because it has dried out a little and will lose its glossy appearance, much like a meringue.

Make sure to frost cake around the base near the board; this will form a seal and help keep the cake fresh.

Good luck and happy cooking!

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Comments

  1. YAY! Thanks Charlie 🙂 So glad you were able to post this recipe so quickly! Gosh…it still seems a little complicated and difficult for me! I’m such an amateur hahaha i’ve only just graduated from the ‘cake mix academy’ and have started to make cakes from scratch 😀 But i have promised to give this cake a try…someday…. lol and thanks for including the cost! It’s nice to know how much it is to make cakes at home 😀

  2. Now I am feeling hungry! I have sweet tooth and I love cakes and also banana splits (altho I try not to eat them too often). Your cake looks lovely.

  3. Does the National Heart Foundation know about you?

  4. Wow, my kids would love this cake! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I love cakes with lots of fluffy frosting!

  5. This is amazing! Aren’t you the talented one?! Great work, I love making fancy/different cakes! 😀 Bookmarking this one for future reference! 😀

  6. I have a feeling there’s going to be a spike in AWW cake cookbooks now… 😉

  7. That’s an awesome and cute idea 😀 Although not sure if I can make it as I’m really bad at making cakes. 🙁

  8. How cute is that!! I don’t fuss with cakes like this but this is too cute to pass up! I’m going more for a fun summer bbq party dessert as I don’t have any little ones around to celebrate a birthday! Thanks for sharing this!

  9. I want to be your neighbor!

  10. Oh yes, I want to be your neighbor too! It looks so funny and delish!

  11. Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to have the opportunity to bake it!

  12. What a fun cake! Just great. So creative. I don’t know why I never thought to freeze a cake several days ahead of time–what a great tip!

  13. We had sundae bar for my daughters birthday, all DIY with nuts, toppings, bananas, and the lot. What a shame I didn’t have this cake to go with it!
    Lovely Charlie!

    • hotlyspiced says:

      What a great idea for a party – I might have to borrow it!

      • So easy! Bowls of marshmallows, bananas, crushed nuts, wafer biscuits and sticks, cherries of course, lots more, and commercial pump bottles of toppings- the type cafes use for milkshakes. They are much cheaper to buy (less than $8 each) than supermarket ones and look so impressive. We also got the long commercial tubs of icecream in many flavours, again working out much cheaper and looking good too. It was very succesful indeed and everyone had fun comparing creations 🙂

  14. That’s just a great cake and the instructions are detailed and couldn’t be any simpler. And yet, it is still so far out of my realm of expertise you that might as well be giving instructions on building an electron microscope. I guess, though, if I had “customers” that I, too, might give it my best try. I could always say that the ice cream melted, 🙂

    • hotlyspiced says:

      Like you, I’m sure I would still have never attempted any sculptured cakes except that I have ‘customers’.

  15. I think you did a great job with this Charlie. And I don’t see any type of mistakes on this cake ;). These type of cakes are always hard to make (well thats what I think in my mind), but I am looking forward to make something like this very much in the future. And I hope it doesn’t fall over LOL

  16. I just showed my kids before they went to school and they are begging me to make it for them this weekend. Thanks hun !!! 🙂 lol xxx

    • hotlyspiced says:

      Oh no! You have to hide all photos of cakes from your children or the begging begins. I’ll look forward to seeing a photo of your banana split!

  17. Again it’s such a great cake. You are a super cool mum!

  18. wow. just wow!

  19. What a great idea! And yes any cake that you can throw lollies at to fix up any flaws is going to be good! I like large flowers and hats for the very same reason 😛

  20. So cute! I love this.

    XO,
    Catherine
    (Click here to enter my anthropologie kitchen tools giveaway.)

  21. What a stunner of a cake, Charlie – I’ll bet your kids love you to bits for it! I’m afraid I never managed to make the complex looking ones and frequently just gave up and covered a chocolate cake with lots of icing and lollies. That worked too!

  22. I have never seen the banana split cake. This will probably change now, I am sure it is going to be very popular

  23. Thanks for the recipe! I have never had banana split (I don’t know why…), but I’m sure it’s delicious

  24. Oh, that cake is so beautiful – very sweet I suspect, but very beautiful! Nice one Charlie!

  25. OMG, that looks delish! I need the non-dairy version, however. Help!

  26. First time seeing a cake like this. This is beautiful. What a neat and innovative idea. I cannot wait to show my daughter this post.

  27. How many old people does it feed:)?

    • hotlyspiced says:

      Hi, it feeds between 10-20 children depending on their age and how much they’ve had to eat before the cake is cut. I’ve never had a problem of running out of cake.

  28. OK, that’s just crazy. And by that I mean, where’s my spoon. I’m gonna actually need one for each hand.

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  1. […] I surely do not have the patients for extravagantly decorated desserts as Lorraine, Sawsan and Charlie do (to name a few) so I selected a cupcake which was quite manageable and not overly fussy. I did […]

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