Lava Cakes
Banana Cream & Cornbread Lava Cake
Banana cream and cornbread might sound unexpected, but once they are together, the combination feels completely obvious.
The soft cornbread cake brings a buttery, lightly savory edge to the sweet banana cream, while cornbread cookie dough adds little pockets of texture between every layer.
It is cozy, balanced, and very hard to stop eating - especially if you already love banana cream filling and a warm piece of cornbread drizzled with honey.
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Thinking out loud
The Combination That Should Be Everywhere
I wish we saw cornmeal in more desserts. There are so many wonderful cornmeal recipes, but it still feels like we do not see them nearly as often as we should.
Banana cream and cornbread are both so cozy, and together they strike that perfect balance between savory and sweet. When a dessert lands right in that middle, it can feel almost impossible to stop eating it. That is exactly how I feel about this cake.
If you love banana cream filling and a buttery piece of cornbread with a drizzle of honey, I cannot recommend this one enough.
Ingredient notes
Key ingredients
Superfine yellow cornmeal
Blending the cornmeal to a powder gives the cake and cookie dough a smoother texture while keeping their warm corn flavor.
Ripe bananas
Use deeply ripe bananas for the fullest flavor and the smoothest banana cream.
Vanilla bean paste
Vanilla bean paste gives the banana cream and buttercream a fuller vanilla flavor and those beautiful vanilla bean flecks. Vanilla extract also works perfectly well if that is what you have on hand.
Brands I used for this recipe
These are preferences, not requirements. If you choose the non-dairy route, these are the products I test with. Dairy equivalents can be used at the same listed amounts and temperatures.
Forager Unsweetened Plain Yogurt
Plain unsweetened yogurt adds moisture, acidity, and body so the crumb bakes up tender without tasting tangy.
Silk Original Unsweet
Milk affects how smoothly a batter, filling, or frosting comes together. Soy milk and Ripple tend to emulsify well because their protein and fat help create a creamy, cohesive finish.
Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
Use butter sticks for buttercream and fillings that need to hold their shape.
Country Crock Plant Cream
Cream affects silkiness, looseness, and how buttercream sets after chilling.
Nature's Charm Sweetened Condensed Oat Milk
Sweetened condensed milk changes sweetness, thickness, and set in the banana cream.
King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour
I use King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour for this recipe.
Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste
I use Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste for this recipe.
Testing notes
Why this works
Why the cornmeal is blended
Grinding the cornmeal until powder-fine gives the cake a plush, smooth crumb while preserving its warm corn flavor.
Why the banana cream must cool
Warm banana cream will soften the buttercream and make the stacked cake unstable. Cool it completely before assembly.
Why the buttercream dam is tall
A tall, complete dam holds the generous layer of banana cream and cookie dough inside the cake.
How the timing works
The banana cream cools while the cake layers chill, so both 45-minute rests happen at the same time.
Inside the recipe
How It All Comes Together
From Instagram
Watch the reel
Watch the cornbread cake, banana cream, cornbread cookie dough, and vanilla buttercream come together layer by layer.
Open the reel
Troubleshooting
If This Happens
The cornbread cake has a coarse or uneven texture
Blend the superfine cornmeal until it is powder-fine before adding it to the cake batter. The finer grind gives the cake a smoother crumb while keeping its corn flavor.
The banana cream is lumpy
Whisk constantly while it cooks so the cornstarch thickens evenly. Once it is pudding-like, remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla bean paste until smooth.
The banana cream is softening the buttercream
The filling is still too warm. Chill it until completely cool before assembly, even if it already looks thick enough to spread.
The cake is shifting as I stack it
Use small cookie-dough pieces and keep the banana cream inside a tall, closed buttercream dam. Add the thin buttercream layer over the cookie dough before placing the next cake layer.
Before you slice
Texture and serving notes
Let the refrigerated cake stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes before slicing.
Keep it good
Storage
Note 1
Refrigerate the cake, well covered, for up to 3 days.
Note 2
Keep cut surfaces covered so the cornbread layers stay soft.
Recipe FAQ
Questions that come up
Does the cornmeal need to be blended?
Yes. Blending the cornmeal until powder-fine gives both the cake and cookie dough a smoother, more tender texture.
How cool should the banana cream be before assembly?
It should be completely cool. If it is still warm, it can melt the buttercream dam and make the cake unstable.
Can I make the components ahead?
Yes. Chill the wrapped cake layers, banana cream, and cookie dough separately, then make the buttercream and assemble the cake when you are ready.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste?
Yes. I prefer vanilla bean paste for its fuller flavor and vanilla bean flecks, but vanilla extract works perfectly well if that is what you have on hand. Use the same amount.
Can I use dairy ingredients?
Yes. I test all of my recipes with non-dairy ingredients, but you can use the milk, plain unsweetened yogurt, butter, and sweetened condensed milk you have on hand while keeping the listed amounts and temperatures the same.
Should I weigh the ingredients or use volume measurements?
I strongly recommend weighing the ingredients in grams for the most reliable result. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but the amount in a cup can change depending on how an ingredient is filled, packed, or poured. These recipes are easy to follow, but their ratios are precise, so I cannot guarantee the exact same result when volume measurements are used. I still use teaspoons and tablespoons for small amounts like leaveners, salt, spices, and flavorings because those are the most practical measurements.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I cannot guarantee the same texture, rise, or structure. If you would like to experiment, a cup-for-cup (1:1) gluten-free baking blend intended to replace all-purpose flour is the best place to start. Results may differ from the recipe as written.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes, of course. Replace the cake flour with the same amount of all-purpose flour by weight. The cake will have a slightly sturdier, less delicate crumb, but it will still be great.
More lava cakes to try
- Prep
- 20 min
- Bake
- 22-25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Yield
- One three-layer 8-inch cake
Measurement note
For the closest match to the recipe I tested, use grams. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but cups can vary, so I cannot guarantee the exact same result when measuring by volume.
Ingredients
Tap each ingredient as you use it.
Cornbread Cake
- 210 g cake flour
- 100 g superfine yellow cornmeal, blended to a powder
- 10 g baking powder
- 5 g baking soda
- 8 g cornstarch
- 250 g granulated sugar
- 230 g milk
- 15 g apple cider vinegar
- 140 g neutral oil
- 120 g plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon butter extract
Banana Cream
- 300 g mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium bananas)
- 200 g sweetened condensed milk
- 300 g milk
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 28 g cornstarch
- 28 g butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Cornbread Cookie Dough
- 113 g butter, softened
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 70 g superfine cornmeal, blended to a powder
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2-2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup butter
- 350 g powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Up to 100 g cream, room temperature
For Assembly
- Fresh banana slices, optional
- Extra cornbread pieces, optional
Pan used
I use Fat Daddio's 8-inch anodized aluminum round cake pans for this recipe.
Instructions
- 1Make the cornbread cake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 8-inch round pans with parchment.
- 2Blend the cornmeal until powder-fine for a smoother, more cake-like crumb.
- 3In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, powdered cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch.
- 4In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- 5Add the oil, yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla, and butter extract to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth.
- 6Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined.
- 7Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
- 8Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the centers spring back when lightly pressed.
- 9Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out the layers. Wrap them while slightly warm and chill completely in the refrigerator or freezer.
- 10Make the banana cream. In a saucepan, whisk together the mashed banana, sweetened condensed milk, milk, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.
- 11Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick, glossy, and pudding-like, 4-6 minutes.
- 12Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until fully smooth.
- 13Cool for 10-15 minutes, then chill until completely cool. Do not assemble the cake while the filling is warm.
- 14Make the cornbread cookie dough. Beat the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla bean paste until fluffy.
- 15Add the powdered cornmeal and all-purpose flour and mix until a thick dough forms.
- 16Chill for 15-20 minutes, then break into small pieces. Keep chilled until assembly.
- 17Make the vanilla buttercream. Beat the butter for 2-3 minutes, until pale and creamy.
- 18Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and salt and mix on low until combined.
- 19With the mixer on low, slowly stream in the room-temperature cream just until incorporated, stopping when the buttercream reaches your desired consistency.
- 20Assemble the cake. Level the chilled cake layers if needed. Place the first layer on a cake board and pipe a tall, complete buttercream dam around the edge.
- 21Spoon a thick layer of banana cream inside the dam, then scatter cornbread cookie dough pieces over the filling.
- 22Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the cookie dough to help secure the next cake layer.
- 23Add the second cake layer and repeat the buttercream dam, banana cream, cookie dough, and thin layer of buttercream.
- 24Add the final cake layer, apply a crumb coat, and chill for 30 minutes.
- 25Frost the cake with the remaining vanilla buttercream.
- 26Decorate with remaining banana cream, cornbread pieces, and fresh banana slices, if desired.
Meet the baker
Angela Heckler
Angela Heckler is the recipe developer, baker, and photographer behind Obsessed Cakes. Her Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf series is a growing collection of cake-donut-inspired loaves with soft, deeply moist crumbs, buttery streusel, and crackly glaze. Angela develops and tests every recipe in her Arizona kitchen. Follow Obsessed Cakes on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Made it? Tell us.
Ratings and reviews
This recipe turned out so amazing! The banana cream layer is insanely good and the cookie dough barely made it on the cake because I kept eating it. I was initially worried there wasn't enough cake batter when i divided it into the pans, but they rose beautifully and doubled in size in the oven. Perfect! No notes
Thank you so much for sharing, Kyley!! I'm the same way with the cookie dough! LOL
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