Church Cake with Jiffy Banana Mix
Baby, they call it "Church Cake" because Nana's seen 3 fistfights break out over the last piece in the fellowship hall.
This one's straight out of Mama's 1987 church cookbook — Jiffy banana muffin mix on the bottom, drained crushed pineapple, a cream cheese vanilla pudding layer, and Cool Whip on top.
No frosting skills required.
Feeds 15.
And it only gets better sitting overnight.
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Why This Cake Wins Every Potluck
No frosting required — the "church frosting" is just beaten cream cheese and pudding, no piping bag needed. It's made ahead, so you're not fussing in the kitchen the morning of. It's simple Jiffy-mix prep. It feeds a crowd of 15. And it holds up in a hot fellowship hall or a covered-dish supper better than a frosted layer cake ever could.
What You Need:
For the Cake:
2 boxes Jiffy Banana Muffin Mix (7 oz boxes)
2 large eggs
2/3 cup milk (whole milk recommended)
For the Topping:
1 can crushed pineapple (20 oz, drained thoroughly)
1 package cream cheese (8 oz, room temperature, block form)
1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (6 oz, not sugar-free)
3 cups cold milk (whole milk for richness)
1 tub Cool Whip (16 oz, defrosted)
Nana's Church Cake, Step by Step
1. Bake the Jiffy cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Mix the 2 boxes Jiffy Banana Muffin Mix, eggs, and milk in a large bowl until just combined — lumps are fine. Pour into the pan and bake 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before moving on.
2. Beat the cream cheese: In a large bowl, beat the 8 oz room-temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth with no lumps. If it's still lumpy, the block wasn't soft enough — a 10-second zap in the microwave fixes it.
3. Make the pudding: In another bowl, whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with 3 cups cold milk for 2 minutes until thickened. Fold it into the cream cheese and beat until smooth — that's your "church frosting."
4. Drain the pineapple: Drain the crushed pineapple, then drain it again, pressing it through a fine mesh strainer with a spoon.
This step is not optional — skip it and you'll have a soggy cake.
5. Layer it up: Spread the drained pineapple over the cooled cake, all the way to the edges. Spread the pudding-cream cheese mixture over the pineapple and smooth it out. Top with the entire tub of Cool Whip and swirl it decoratively with a spoon.
6. Chill: Cover with foil and chill at least 1-2 hours — overnight is better. The cake needs that time to set and let the layers marry. Cut into squares and serve cold.
Feeds: 15 Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 25-30 minutes | Chill: 1-2 hours | Total: 2 hours 45 minutes
Nana's Church Cake Rules + Fixes
Soggy bottom cake: Drain that pineapple properly through a fine mesh strainer, and make sure the cake is completely cool before you start layering.
Lumpy pudding layer: Cream cheese has to be room temperature before you beat it. Use a hand mixer, not a spoon and elbow grease.
Too sweet for your taste: Swap in "No Sugar Added" crushed pineapple, or cut back to a 12 oz tub of Cool Whip instead of the full 16 oz.
No Jiffy Banana Mix on hand: Use a box of yellow cake mix plus 1 mashed banana and 1 tsp banana extract — though at about 89 cents a box, Jiffy's hard to beat.
Need it in an hour instead of overnight: Freeze the baked cake for 20 minutes to cool it fast, then chill the fully assembled cake for 40 minutes. Overnight's still better if you've got the time.
How Nana Serves Church Cake
Potluck: Travel in the 9x13 pan with its lid, and don't forget a serving spatula — you will get asked for one.
Funeral: Small squares, served quiet, when hearts are heavy. This cake shows up for that too.
VBS (Vacation Bible School): The kids think it's ice cream cake. Nana doesn't correct them.
Tuesday, plain old everyday: Make two pans. Family will ask for the leftovers before the first pan's even cool.
How to Serve & Store
Serve it: Straight from the fridge, cut into squares — this is a cold dessert through and through.
Store: Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days. The flavors keep improving as it sits, so day 2 is just as good as day 1.
Freeze: Not recommended once assembled — the Cool Whip and pudding layers don't thaw back to the right texture. If you want to get ahead, bake and freeze the plain Jiffy cake layer only, then thaw and add the toppings fresh.
Transport tip: A 9x13 pan with a lid travels best — no foil tenting that slides off in the car.
Nutrition Information — Estimated Per Serving
Based on 15 servings. Estimated using USDA database — for precise tracking, use your preferred nutrition calculator with your exact brands.
Calories: ~290 kcal
Protein: 4g
Fat: 14g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 40mg
Carbohydrates: 37g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 26g
Sodium: ~330mg — varies with pudding and cake mix brand used
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Church Cake ahead of time?
Yes — that's actually the whole point of this cake. Make it the night before, chill it overnight, and it'll taste even better by the time you serve it, since the layers need that time to set and the flavors need time to come together.
Why is my cake soggy on the bottom?
Two culprits: the pineapple wasn't drained thoroughly enough, or the cake wasn't fully cooled before you added the toppings. Press that pineapple hard through a fine mesh strainer and give the cake plenty of time to cool completely first.
Can I use a different cake mix instead of Jiffy Banana?
Yes — a box of yellow cake mix plus 1 mashed banana and 1 teaspoon of banana extract makes a good substitute if you can't find the Jiffy mix, though the Jiffy version is cheaper and simpler when you can get it.
Does this cake need to stay refrigerated?
Yes, always — the cream cheese and Cool Whip layers mean this is a cold dessert that shouldn't sit out longer than about 2 hours, especially in warm Louisiana weather.
Can I freeze Church Cake?
Not after it's fully assembled — the pudding and Cool Whip layers won't hold their texture once thawed. If you want to prep ahead further out, bake and freeze just the plain Jiffy cake layer, then thaw it and add the toppings the day you plan to serve.
From Nana's Kitchen
This cake has been to more baptisms, funerals, and covered-dish suppers than Nana's Bible. It's Louisiana church history in a pan.
Tell Nana: Did you drain that pineapple? Does your church fight over it too? How many pieces did Pawpaw "test"? Comment below.
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