Lava Cakes
Banana Cream & Cornbread Lava Cake
Soft cornbread cake layered with banana cream, buttery cornbread cookie dough, and whipped vanilla buttercream.
Prep
20 min
Bake
22-25 min
Total
1 hr 30 min
Yield
One three-layer 8-inch cake
A note from my kitchen
Before you bake this
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.
Save me a slice ;)
Thinking out loud
The Combination That Should Be Everywhere
The cravings, questions, and running commentary behind this bake.
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.
Read this first
The quick notes.
Flavor
Ripe banana, buttery cornmeal, vanilla, and a touch of maple.
Texture
Soft cornbread cake, custardy banana cream, tender cookie dough, and whipped buttercream.
Best moment
The banana cream settling into every bite of buttery cornbread cake.
From this recipe
Tested notes
The banana cream cooling and cake-layer chilling periods happen at the same time.
The banana cream must be completely cool before assembly so it does not soften the buttercream dam.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days and let the cake stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes before slicing.
If you are going the non-dairy route, I test with Forager Unsweetened Plain Yogurt, Silk Unsweetened Original Soymilk, Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks, and sweetened condensed oat milk. Dairy equivalents may be substituted at the same listed amounts and temperatures.
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.
Brand notes
Brands that matter here
For the ingredients where brand choice changes texture, set, or flavor, these are the tested options I use.
Yogurt
Plain unsweetened yogurt
Plain unsweetened yogurt adds moisture, acidity, and body so the crumb bakes up tender without tasting tangy.
- 01Forager Unsweetened Plain Yogurt
Milk
Milk
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.
- 01Silk Original Unsweet
Butter sticks
Butter sticks
Use butter sticks for buttercream and fillings that need to hold their shape.
- 01Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
Cream
Cream
Cream affects silkiness, looseness, and how buttercream sets after chilling.
- 01Country Crock Plant Cream
Condensed milk
Sweetened condensed milk
Sweetened condensed milk changes sweetness, thickness, and set in the banana cream.
- 01Nature's Charm Sweetened Condensed Oat Milk
Testing notes
Why this works
Why the cornmeal is blended
Grinding the cornmeal until powder-fine softens its texture so the cake feels plush instead of gritty.
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.
How it 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 reelSmall things that matter
Tips for the best cake
Blend the cornmeal until powder-fine before measuring it into the cake and cookie dough.
Whisk the banana cream constantly as it cooks so the cornstarch thickens evenly.
Cool the banana cream completely before assembling the cake.
Keep the cookie dough pieces small so the cake layers stack evenly.
Pipe a tall, unbroken buttercream dam around each layer before adding the filling.
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.
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, but the cake will have a slightly sturdier, less fine crumb. You can replace the cake flour with the same amount of all-purpose flour by weight. For a closer substitute, use 105 g all-purpose flour plus 15 g cornstarch for every 120 g cake flour called for, whisking or sifting them together well. If the recipe separately lists additional cornstarch, keep that amount in the recipe too; this mixture replaces only the cake flour.
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