📌 Baked Banana Split Cake
Posted 30 April 2026 by: Admin
When people hear ‘dump cake,’ they often imagine a messy pile of stuff oozing out of the oven. This Baked Banana Split Cake is the exact opposite: it looks like something that required careful effort, while requiring almost none. Ten minutes of prep, and the oven does the rest while you enjoy your weekend.
The crust is a light golden caramel color, almost reddish in spots where the chocolate chips have slightly caramelized. Underneath, the bananas and strawberry filling have melted into a thick, almost candied compote that still bubbles gently when you set the dish on the table. The smell filling the kitchen is that mix of browned butter and sweet cooked fruit—the kind that brings people from the living room without needing to call them. Under the spoon, the crust cracks slightly before giving way to the melting fruit base.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredient Notes
Everything you need for this quick cake: bananas, strawberry filling, pineapple, cake mix, and essential chocolate chips.
- The bananas : They must be very ripe, with brown spots on the skin. Not perfect yellow supermarket bananas—those will stay firm and bland after baking. Ripe bananas provide a natural sugar and aroma that nothing else can replace here.
- Canned strawberry filling : A ready-to-use strawberry pie filling, thick and sweet with pieces of candied strawberries. If you can’t find it, a thick strawberry jam can work in a pinch—reduce the quantity slightly, as it’s sweeter than filling.
- Yellow cake mix : A box of yellow cake mix, Betty Crocker brand or equivalent. Pour it in dry, without preparing it as indicated on the box. Here, the melted butter and the moisture from the fruit replace the liquid—that’s the whole principle of a dump cake.
- Melted butter : About 170 g. It should be melted but not boiling—warm, not hot. Pour it in a thin stream over the entire surface of the cake mix so the crust is even. If you pour it all in one mass in the center, you’ll have a soggy core and dry edges.
- Chocolate chips : One cup of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. They partially melt during baking and create pockets of chocolate in the crust. Avoid hand-chopped baking chocolate—chips hold their shape better and provide a more interesting texture.
Take the butter out 20 minutes before starting
There isn’t much to prepare here, but what needs doing is worth doing well. The butter should be melted but not hot—if you pour it boiling over the cake mix, the crust will clump into a compact dough before even entering the oven. Melt it gently in the microwave in short bursts, or in a small saucepan over very low heat. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175°C. Take out your rectangular baking dish—a 23 x 33 cm dish is ideal so the layers are proportioned and the crust is neither too thin nor too thick.
Layer the fruit in distinct layers
Bananas first. Slice them into rounds of about one centimeter and cover the entire bottom of the dish—try to fill the gaps, as the bananas give the cake its special melting texture underneath. Next, drain the crushed pineapple well and distribute it evenly. Excess moisture from the pineapple can make the base soggy, so draining really matters. Then pour the strawberry filling and spread it with a spatula. At this stage, the dish looks like a colorful patchwork of fruit—bright strawberry red, pale pineapple yellow, creamy banana white. Not very photogenic. That’s about to change.
Pour the cake mix without stirring—really, don’t stir
Open the box and pour the dry cake mix directly over the fruit. Shake the dish slightly to distribute it, then use a fork to cover any missing spots on the edges. The urge to stir will be strong. Resist. The principle of the dump cake is that the layers stay separate: the fruit cooks into a compote underneath, while the cake mix creates a sandy crust on top. If you stir, you get a compact, wet dough. Next, drizzle the melted butter in a zigzag pattern to cover as much surface as possible. Then sprinkle the chocolate chips, crushed nuts, and mini-marshmallows—in that order, with marshmallows last so they brown without burning.
Don’t touch anything for 50 minutes
The oven does everything else. At 175°C, the crust will turn that light caramel shade in 45 to 55 minutes depending on your oven. The edges will start to bubble before the center—that’s normal, it’s a sign the fruit is caramelizing. Around 40 minutes, a smell of warm butter and melted chocolate will start wafting from the oven door. That’s a good sign. If the marshmallows look too brown before the end, cover the dish with foil for the last 10 minutes. The cake is ready when the center no longer jiggles and the crust is evenly bronzed. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving—the layers will firm up slightly and hold together on the plate.
Tips & Tricks
- Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream—the hot-cold contrast is what makes the dessert. Don’t miss this step by serving it lukewarm or cold.
- If preparing for the next day, keep it covered in the fridge and reheat portions in the microwave for 60 seconds. Avoid reheating the whole dish in the oven—the marshmallows will dry out and the crust will harden.
- Nuts are optional if cooking for children. Without them, the cake is softer throughout; with them, you get a crunchy contrast that balances the sweetness.
The center of the cake is still soft when coming out of the oven—is that normal?
Yes, completely normal. The heart of the cake firms up as it cools, because the fruit continues to cook slightly out of the oven. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving—if you dive in too early, the base will be liquid.
Can I make this cake a day in advance?
Yes, but it is much better warm and fresh from the oven. If you want to save time, assemble the fruit layers the night before in the dish, cover, and refrigerate. The next day, add the dry cake mix and melted butter just before baking—it takes two minutes.
I can’t find canned strawberry filling—what can I use instead?
A thick strawberry jam works well, reducing the quantity by about 20% since it’s sweeter. You can also mix 400g of thawed frozen strawberries with 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of cornstarch—it’s fruitier and less sweet than the canned version.
Can I use another flavor of cake mix?
Absolutely. A vanilla cake mix gives a more neutral result that lets the fruit shine. A chocolate cake mix creates a richer, more intense version. Avoid strong flavors like lemon or spice, which conflict with the tropical fruits.
How do I prevent the bottom from being soggy?
Draining the pineapple is the key step—press the lid down well before emptying. Then, absolutely do not mix the layers: the dry cake mix forms a natural barrier between the moist fruit and the crust. A dish that is too small (making layers too thick) can also slow down evaporation.
Baked Banana Split Cake
American
Dessert
An American dessert that takes 10 minutes to prep: layers of tropical fruit, dry cake mix, and melted butter, and the oven does the rest. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla, it’s hard to beat.
Ingredients
- 3 (about 300g) very ripe bananas, cut into 1 cm rounds
- 1 can (560g) canned crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1 can (595g) strawberry pie filling
- 1 box (432g) yellow cake mix, dry
- 170g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly warm
- 170g (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 60g (½ cup) crushed walnuts
- 50g (½ cup) mini marshmallows
- for serving vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and maraschino cherries
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 23 x 33 cm rectangular baking dish.
- 2Arrange the banana rounds in an even layer at the bottom of the dish, covering the entire surface.
- 3Spread the drained pineapple over the bananas in an even layer.
- 4Pour the strawberry filling and spread it carefully with a spatula over the pineapple.
- 5Sprinkle the dry cake mix in an even layer over the fruit. Do not stir the layers.
- 6Drizzle the melted butter in a zigzag pattern over the entire surface of the cake mix to cover as much as possible.
- 7Sprinkle with chocolate chips, then crushed nuts, and finally mini marshmallows.
- 8Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the crust is a light golden caramel color and the edges are bubbling. Cover with foil if the marshmallows brown too quickly.
- 9Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and cherries.
Notes
• Storage: cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat portions in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds—do not reheat the whole dish in the oven, or the marshmallows will dry out.
• Variation: replace crushed walnuts with toasted pecans for a more caramelized flavor, or omit them entirely for a softer version suitable for children.
• No strawberry filling? Mix 400g of thawed frozen strawberries with 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of cornstarch—it’s fruitier and less sweet.
Nutrition Facts (per serving, estimated)
| 550 kcalCalories | 5gProtein | 72gCarbs | 25gFat |
