Banana Cake with Caramel Filling

4.86 from 7 votes

Banana Cake with Caramel Filling

Anyone can make this Easy Banana Cake recipe! Layer cakes that start with cake mix are so easy. This easy cake recipe has caramel filling and is frosted with cream cheese frosting!

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time30

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Dorothy Kern

Cost: $10

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 overripe bananas smashed
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the Caramel:

1 11 ounce bag caramel squares or bits (unwrapped if wrapped)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
8 ounces cream cheese softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two 9-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch round cake pans (see note) with parchment paper and butter and flour them (or use floured cooking spray). You will have some batter left over.
Mix cake mix, water, oil, eggs, bananas, and baking soda in a large bowl on low for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
Fill prepared pans equally.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. (Time will depend on size of pan.) Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

Make the Caramel:

While the cake is in the oven, add the caramels and heavy whipping cream to a microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH for 2 minutes. Let it sit for one minute, then whisk until caramel is compeltely melted (reheating as needed).
Once caramel is completely melted, place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
When getting ready to frosting the cake, remove cooled caramel from the refrigerator. It will be stiff. Beat with a hand mixer until the caramel becomes more creamy, only a few minutes. Now it is like a thin frosting you can fill your cake with.

Make the Frosting:

Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing until frosting has formed. Mix in vanilla.
To assemble your cake, place some frosting in a pastry bag fitted with your choice of tip (I used a 1M). If needed, trim the top of your cake layers to make them level.
Place one layer on cake plate. Pipe a rim around the edge with cream cheese frosting, creating a barrier for the caramel filling. Evenly spread caramel on the bottom later. Place top cake layer on the caramel. Frost the cake as desired.

Video

Notes

I used three 8-inch round pans, but you can also do two 9-inch rounds for a two layer cake.
If making a two-layer cake, do half the caramel (or you'll have some left over).
If you want to do decorative frosting, double the frosting recipe.
You can bake this also as a 9x13-inch cake, just skip the filling.

Cake recipe slightly adapted from Inside BruCrew Life.

Nutrition