• Begin by making the banana pudding, so it can be placed in the fridge to chill.
• In a medium bowl, combine the banana pudding mix along with the milk, whisk until thick and creamy. Place it in the fridge, and chill. It will be thick and set up as thick pudding. I use a stainless container, so it sets up quickly.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla on high until stiff peaks form.
• On low, drizzle in the sweetened condensed milk so it combines evenly.
• Next, you'll slowly and carefully fold the pudding into the whipped cream mixture, Place the pudding mixture on top, slowly slice down the middle of the bowl with a spatula, then give the mixture a flip. Don't stir or mix quickly, as that will deflate the light fluffiness of the whipped cream and deflate the filling. Continue folding the whipped cream into the pudding mixture until everything is folded together.
• Cover the filling with plastic wrap so it is placed directly onto the mixture. Place it in the fridge so it thickens while you make the cake.

Making the cake

• In a large bowl of a mixer, place the cake mix, add in the flour, sugar, eggs, butter, along with the sour cream, oil, vanilla, and banana extracts.
• Begin on a low speed, raising to a medium speed mix for 1 minute, then mix on medium high for 30 more seconds to a minute, all the ingredients should be well combined and smooth.
• Place the batter in a 13x9 pan that is prepared with a pan release cream or spray. So the cake will be able to remove easily.
• Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes for a metal pan, it'll take longer, 50-60 minutes for a ceramic pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. It's a thick cake, you'll be slicing it in half once it cools.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing. Alternatively, you can cut the cake into cubes and place the pieces in a trifle bowl, with the filling, or layer the pieces back into the rectangular pan for a simple serving idea.
• Once the cake is cooled, turn it out on a cooling rack and slice it into 2 even slices. Creating 2 layers, they will be about 13x9 by 1". Using a long serrated knife gives a great result. It's not a huge problem if it's not perfectly even or even breaks into a couple of pieces; you can just press it into the pan when you add the filling (to glue it together).

Assemble the cake

• Place 1 layer back into the baking pan. Then add 1/2 of the pudding mixture and spread it evenly over the cake. Peel and slice the 2 banans into even slices about 1/4" thick. Add sliced from 2 bananas. Add the second layer of cake and the remaining pudding filling. Slice the remaining 2 bananas on top, then sprinkle the edges of the cake with cinnamon using a fine sieve or strainer.
• Place the cake in the fridge for at least half an hour, or overnight. Slice and serve! It's best when it is hilled and sets up nicely. you can spoon the cake out or slice it if you want more even-looking pieces, or spoon it into bowls.
• If you are planning to serve this cake the next day, slice the bananas for the top closer to serving to ensure they don't turn brown, or place the bananas just "under" the pudding filling, and then smooth some of the mixture over the bananas and sprinkle with cinnamon. Both options are great, I love the look of the bananas on top, but both options will look nice.