Super Easy Banana Trifle Pudding

So this Banana Trifle Pudding is like my go-to, easy, no-fail recipe for a dessert that is a sure shot way to impress company or just yourself. You know, because sometimes you need that reinforcement that you are just awesome.

Its basically a vanilla cake, slathered with a generous serving of spiked up custard, a little jam, toasted walnuts and a layer of bananas, followed by the layers being repeated and then the whole thing topped with whipped cream. Delicious and no frills whipped cream.

The beauty of this dessert is the variations that could follow. You could play with the jam used. Raspberry pairs well with banana, but I have used blueberry crush as well and had amazing results. I have also used the cheap, ration brand of jam which is overtly sweet with an awful texture and I would otherwise not go near but mix it with some orange juice to add a little tang to the jam and its sweetness is reduced and the taste very much acceptable. And in the dessert a welcome ingredient.

Custard is a must, but you could make the pudding more of a banoffee by also using a little dulce de leche or a butterscotch sauce (the dulce de leche, I speak from experience, tastes heavenly). I used the powdered custard, since thats easy and less complicated. In India, there’s a brand Brown & Polson that makes it. I used the package instructions to make a free flowing custard. It was a vanilla flavored custard powder but I added some banana flavoring to it as well, for good measure. But, for true gastro-geeks go ahead make the real thing. But do add some cognac, or rum, or brandy. Because, spiked up is always better. You could also use Baileys. I have done that too. And I have not been disappointed. But then its Baileys, how can anybody be disappointed??

You could add caramelized walnuts, or just plain toasted walnuts, or just plain walnuts for an extra crunch to the dessert. Or if walnuts are not your thing, then I suggest chocolate chips, or chocolate shavings, or forget putting the chocolate in the dessert and eat it instead. I know the last option speaks to you the most. It speaks to me too.

For the fruit, I have always used bananas, because my family loves that odd shaped fruit a lot but I don’t think trifle puddings are not too particular about what fruit you use and you could go wild with the fruits if you want. Experiment. And please let me know.

The cake could be home made (I always use homemade and if homemade is what you want you can try this recipe) or if you not too keen on getting into a hot kitchen after a long day of work, go ahead use store bought vanilla pound cake. I have tried several different cake recipes for this and all work very well. Even if you bake a dry cake, just make sure you poke it and pour a lot of custard over it. The cake will soak the custard and make it moist. Everybody will think you are an awesome baker, and you will be considered a domestic goddess. Or God. I will never leave the less fair sex out. Never. Yes, my dear male reader, you too can make this.

And then there is the whipped cream. I always do use whipped cream, but this time I had leftover buttercream from some cupcakes I made. So I used that. And still worked. Seriously this recipe works with everything. The buttercream was just butter, icing sugar and vanilla flavoring. So nothing much to it.

Since I basically just go with the flow with this pudding, I have given an approximation of the quantities I use. Please do forgive me for not being more exact, but I promise you I have given you a fair idea of how to make it yourself. Just remember, soaking is the key to the success of this pudding. If you have a dry cake, use more custard. If you don’t then use a decent amount. Mine was pretty moist to begin with, so I did not have an issue. Poke and soak- and you have nothing to worry about.