Banana Split Cake Cups


I still remember the first thing I ever baked on my own.  I was eight years old, and giddy on the knowledge that my mom was letting ME bake something...on my own....with no adult help.

As I poured through her treasure trove of cookbooks, I landed on a recipe for coffee cake and was hooked. I thought, surely I would appear very grown up, baking something that you eat with COFFEE. This nectar of the "Grown Ups" was...

...Let me interrupt my story for a minute.  As I sit here trying to write this post, my son is...how does a loving mother put this...MURDERING the keys to my piano.  Now he is asking me, "Don't you love it?"

O.K, back to the story:)

This nectar of the Grown Ups, was exclusively reserved for those that had reached the "acceptable age." This age was an ongoing mystery to me, as each year that I asked if I was old enough, I was denied. Well surely, I thought, if I was old enough to bake a treat that was served WITH coffee, then I could drink it too.  My reasoning proved to be wrong though.

As my parents enjoyed each crumb of the coffee cake (at least they appeared to - it could have been a "Mommy don't you love it?" situation), I was met with the familiar, "Not 'til your older."

It's memories like these, that come surfacing when I bake recipes from my childhood.  Recipes like this Banana Split Cake. My mom used to make this regularly when we had company, as it was easy to throw together, and you could feed a large number of people with it.  I don't know why it is called Banana Split Cake, because there isn't actually any cake in it, but it is still delicious.  This is normally made in a 9x13 baking dish, but I decided to make individual sized portions, and served them in these cute half pint canning jars I found. Individual sized desserts are healthier anyway...aren't they?

Banana Split Cake


2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter, melted
3 cups powdered sugar
8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3-4 bananas, sliced
1 quart strawberries, sliced
1 (20-oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
9-oz jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved
1 cup heavy whipping cream


Combine the melted butter and graham crackers crumbs. Press into the bottom of your baking dish. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes, then place in the freezer to chill and set for about 10 minutes. Beat the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar until creamy.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled graham cracker crust. Add a layer of sliced bananas over the cream cheese mixture. Drain the pineapple and spread evenly over the bananas. Sprinkle 1/2 a cup of nuts over the pineapple, then add a layer of sliced strawberries.


In a cold bowl, with cold beaters, whip the cream on high until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Sweeten your whipped cream to taste. Spread the whipped cream over everything. Garnish with more nuts and the cherry halves. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Notes: If you want to make this dessert in cups as I did, follow the same directions, but divide each of the layers between your cups. When baking the crust, place the jars on a baking sheet and bake as normal.

Have a great weekend!


72 comments:

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

Oh my goodness, I think I've died and gone to heaven. Amber, these cake cups look incredible! I love every little detail about them. I'm already planning on making them next weekend for a party we are invited to. I'm pretty sure they will be a HUGE hit. Very creative :o)

Lauren at Keep It Sweet said...

Great story about the coffee cake! It is funny what stands out in our memories sometimes. For some reason I don't remember the first thing I baked by myself, but I do have distinct memories of baking slice and bake chocolate chip cookies in the toaster oven with my best friend:-)

Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels said...

I am seriously in love with these banana split cake cups! These are so adorable and an incredibly creative idea. LOVE love love it! :)

Sandra said...

This is amazing Amber! What a presentation, and photos, and the recipe itself it's just fantastic!
Love the story too!

scrambledhenfruit said...

I love individual desserts like these! They look so fresh and delicious! :)

Belinda @zomppa said...

That's super cute. Isn't it wonderful to remember those little moments? These are simply delightful!

Kathy - Panini Happy said...

I feel like a remember a dessert like this from childhood too. Love the presentation in the jars!

All That's Left Are The Crumbs said...

Just beautiful. I love how you made individual servings in canning jars - perfect for seeing those delicious layers.

egbkid said...

These look great, i love how they look layered in the mason jars!

Elyse @The Cultural Dish said...

This is such a great idea! I love it! These would make such a cute dessert at the dinner table. Thanks for sharing!

Becky said...

I made this dessert years ago, but in the 9X13 pan. I love the cake cups, and they're gorgeous. I want one now, so I'll have to make these.

Unknown said...

How have I never heard of this dessert? I love it. I even think I have everything I need to make it. Thanks for sharing (I love the jar idea too).

Jun said...

Yes, Yes! This is very very cute! From now on, I won't have regular banana split. I want this!

Kate @ Diethood.com said...

Love your stories! My mom used to pour hot cocoa for me and allow me to sit with her and have our "coffee talk" every morning. :-)

Those cake cups sound amazing! If that came in a cake pan, I would be in a lot of trouble with my hips... good thing they can be served individually.

Lacey (schoolhousefarm) said...

these look and sound delicious! adding to my list of things to try...

Ang said...

The whole mason jar thing is just adorable. I love it! I could sit and eat this whole darn thing!

Anonymous said...

I just love the idea of using a small jar for desserts...thanks for the inspiration! Looks good!

Sunitha said...

Awesome dessert. I remember making a bread pudding as we call it growing up which involved crackers, sugar and butter cream. Your dessert look much fancier. Individual jars of dessert are a great idea.

Jeannie said...

Gorgeous photos! Can tell they taste delicious!

something good said...

I love the way you served it; and great looking glasses (or jars? :) )

Brandie said...

Yay - this made it into the Top 9! So well deserved!!
I think the back story is just as beautiful as the picture. I absolutely LOVE to hear stories and recipes from people's childhoods. It just gives me the warm fuzzies. And I love that this is a recipe your Mom made. It just makes it so much more special!
I am printing this one out now. I have to make it. And I thought it was a special touch to put it in the canning jars - perfect!

Peggy said...

I definitely love the individual portions in the mason jars! What a cute dessert!

Chef Dennis Littley said...

I have had different types of banana split cake, but your version is the best I have ever seen! What a great combination of flavors, the cream cheese layer sounds so good and all those wonderful toppings..
I was in my mid twenties before I would even touch coffee...now I love it. these days you can see 10 years olds drinking lattes in starbucks, times have certainly changed!
Congrats on your #1 on the top 9 today!

Our Eyes Eat First said...

This is just utter amazing. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!!

angela raylene said...

Oh my goodness! These look amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing :)

Hester aka The Chef Doc said...

I've never had banana split cake. But I am going to make this very very soon! Finally, another fun use for my Mason jars :-)

Adele Forbes said...

Ii love it love it love it! Wish there was a share button....but think you for sharing it with me..

Friday Delights said...

OMG..i want to eat the picture, YUM!!!

Cheryl and Adam @ pictureperfectmeals.com said...

I've been dining like a queen in my mind all afternoon as I've looked at so many delicious recipes and now I've found desert! I think it's time to move to the real world as I have the ingredients in the pantry. It's going to be a sweet, sweet evening thanks to you!

Hilary said...

Those are just too cute for words....and they look delicious too!

BakingWithoutABox said...

Oh wow. You had me at the cutie pie jars. And then the pineapple. All sorts of goodness in one dish. Totally deserving of top of Top 9!

Mary @Delightful Bitefuls said...

Love love love love 'em!

Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls

Jill Colonna said...

Fantastic on the top 9 and so glad to see you again. What you've done here is just amazing and so beautiful to look at, too. Great idea with the jars.

A SPICY PERSPECTIVE said...

What a fun idea! I love the use of little jars and this looks like the perfect treat for kids!

A little bit of everything said...

oh, these are definitely the most beautiful banana split cakes I've ever seen. Love the individual sizes.
Thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

These look fantastic! Mini desserts like these are always my favorite and so impressive at parties! Love them :)

Savoring Italy said...

I love this dessert! Congrats on top 9, Amber:)I saw this earlier this weekend and have been wanting to get a closer look-YUM!!

Monet said...

Hi Amber. These look just delicious. I love how you served them in these jars. So precious. Even more precious? The memories from your childhood. Love it :-) Thanks for sharing all this culinary goodness. I hope you sleep well tonight and wake up refreshed and ready to embrace the new day!

Muriel Miller said...

These look absolutely amazing! I'm not even a banana split fan and I wish I had one of these right now! Seriously your photography is amazing!

Lyndsey said...

These look so good! Congratulations on them making the top 9!

I also wanted to let you know that I love reading your blog and have passed on the 'Stylish Blogger Award' to you and your beautiful blog -
http://vanillacloudsandlemondrops.blogspot.com/2011/03/pink-champagne-truffles-and-awards.html

Natalie said...

too funny, I just made something very similar to this last week...except in a 9x13 pan. Now I wish I'd done it in the little cups!! So cute! :)

Evan @swEEts said...

I love that these are in little jars! They sound delicious even if they don't have any cake in em :)

Umm Mymoonah said...

Wow! they look so gorgeous, amazing pictures.

Magic of Spice said...

Cute story and what a fun way to present this...love it and looks delicious :)

Unknown said...

These are adorable. I might try this for my daughters birthday party.

Candy said...

These are adorable! I am dying to make something in mason jars, just got to get the jars.

Anonymous said...

Lovely dessert.

Cheryl and Adam @ pictureperfectmeals.com said...

We enjoy you blog and recipes so much we've passed on the One Lovely Blog Award to you and your very lovely blog! http://picture-perfectmeals.blogspot.com/2011/03/wed-like-to-thank-academy.html

Tiffany said...

I'm not a kid, but I'd dive HEAD FIRST into these cake cups!

Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking said...

Amber, these cake cups are so creative and decadent! What a delicious dessert idea, and fun for a dinner party, too! Thanks for sharing. You have a beautiful blog and I'm looking forward to exploring your recipes. :)

Joanne said...

I had to wait a long time for coffee also, and then when I did get to try it...I wasn't thrilled. And then my mom REALLY wasn't thrilled when I poured tons of half and half and sugar into it and told her intended to drink it every day from then on. Sigh. How times have changed. Except for the drinking it every day thing.

These banana split cake cups look so good!

Kim - Liv Life said...

I truly love the presentation of this dessert! The little canning jars are just adorable, and yes, I'm all about the single servings. Given the opportunity my kids would scoop half of the pan, so this is an ideal solution. Saving this one for our summer bbq's!

Cristina - Teenie Cakes said...

Amber: Such a cute story about the coffee cake. :)

I can't wait to make these cute little banana split cups. Luv the presentation in those cute little jars. They're adorable!

Meagan @ Scarletta Bakes said...

These are lovely and look delicious!

Thanks so much for this post, the gorgeous photography, and wonderful recipe!!

Mackenzie@The Caramel Cookie said...

So cute! Love the presentation

Anonymous said...

These are so adorable layered in the cups! I bet they're delicious, too!

Anonymous said...

These cake cups look incredible! What a creative idea... I am bookmarking this one!! :)

Lea said...

This looks so creative, and great!
What a beautiful blog you have!
Wonderful recipes!

Anonymous said...

We served these for my cousin's bridal shower. They were a HUGE hit! Thanks so much!

TJ

Amber said...

TJ
I'm so glad you made these for your cousin's shower! Thanks for the feeback:)

A Spoonful of YUMM ! said...

this is one dessert i'd love to have everyday :D gorgeous images !

Anonymous said...

Looks wonderful. Can you tell me how many jars this recipe will make?

Amber said...

Hi, This recipe yields enough to fill a 9x13 dish, so I would guess it would make at least 8 jars. Hope this helps. :)

DebiK said...

I made these this past weekend to take in to my daughters for dinner. The recipe made exactly 8 jars. The only change I made was to add a layer of hot fudge with the bananas. Was a BIG hit!!! But I must say, the serving size was a bit large, especially for the kids. But the nice thing about using the mason jars was that anyone with leftovers just put the lid back on the jar, put their name on the lid and put the jars in the fridge to take home at the end of the day. Worked great. Thanks for the brilliant inspiration!

Amber said...

Hi Debi,
I'm so glad you enjoyed these! Yes, the serving size does allow for leftovers :) You can always make them in smaller size mason jars too.

Texas Rose said...

I used to make this when my children were small.I haven't made it in about 20 years. I now have grandchildren and plan on making it for them one weekend. Thank you for the memories.

Anonymous said...

Are you on Pinterest??

Betty819 said...

I was just browsing on pinterest and found these. They are adorable and certainly a conversation piece! I'm not sure I understand the directions..do you bake the graham cracker crust inside the canning jar? I don't want to go out and buy canning jars, what else could I bake these in? I'm not good at whipping cream..I can substitute canned Reddy Whip on top?

Amber said...

Hi Betty!
Yes, you do bake the graham cracker crust inside the canning jar. If you don't have canning jars, you could try layering in ramekins, although you wouldn't have as much room. Note: I use the MINI canning jars, not the full sized ones. Alternatively, this can also be made in a casserole dish, just layer everything as you would the individual servings. You can certainly use pre-made whipped cream! A couple of tips if you do decide to make your own: When making whipped cream, put your mixing bowl and mixing attachment in the freezer for at least 30 mins beforehand. Make sure your cream is thoroughly chilled, you can even pop it in the freezer for a few minutes too - just don't let it freeze! :) If you're bowl and cream aren't cold enough, it is much harder to get it to whip up very well. Hope this helps!

Amber/Sprinkled With Flour

Betty819 said...

Can you put these together ahead of time? I read that you bake the graham cracker crust in the canning jars first. How do you keep the bananas from turning brown on you after you have sliced them? Would the crushed pineapple juice prevent that? Even though you drain the crushed pineapple well, there's still going to be a certain amount of juice extracted from the pineapple itself, right? You set you can bake it in 9x13 pan..how do you assemble it when you bake it in glass dish? I hate to go buy canning jars when I'll never use them for anything else and you'd probably have to buy a dozen/case? It is very similar to my pina colada cake/aka Lolly cake dessert. This would make a great dessert to serve for a small group for lunch or dinner dessert.

Shelby said...

Love the idea, I was thinking of doing this for a rehearsal dinner on Saturday actually. Just wondering, what is the yield for this recipe?

Amber said...

Hi Shelby, this recipe fills a 9x13 pan, but if making in jars, should fill at least 10-12 mini mason jars, probably more.






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