Layered Fruit Dessert (Print Format)
A colorful treat with fluffy cake, pudding, pineapple chunks, banana slices, cherries, and whipped cream all stacked in a clear bowl for a showstopping look.
# Ingredients:
01 -
15.25 oz yellow cake mix (pick any brand you like)
02 -
1 cup of water
03 -
½ cup of oil, such as vegetable oil
04 -
3 big eggs at room temperature
05 -
6.8 oz vanilla pudding mix (instant)
06 -
4 cups cold milk (whole milk is great)
07 -
40 oz crushed pineapple, fully drained
08 -
4 medium bananas, cut into slices
09 -
42 oz cherry pie filling, canned
10 -
16 oz whipped topping, already thawed
11 -
⅓ cup of pecans, roughly chopped
# Steps:
01 -
Set the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 pan with a nonstick spray made for baking (like Baker’s Joy or its generic version). In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. Blend using a handheld mixer just long enough so there are no streaks of yellow left. Pour the mix into your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool fully before moving on.
02 -
In a medium mixing bowl, pour in the instant pudding mix and cold milk. Blend on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until you notice the pudding thickening up.
03 -
Dice your baked cake into cubes. Take half of the cake pieces and spread them out at the bottom of a 4-quart dish. Layer half the pudding over the cake cubes, followed by half the drained pineapple. Next, arrange half the banana slices over the pineapple. Top it off with one can of cherry pie filling, and then spread one container of whipped topping evenly over it all.
04 -
Repeat the same steps for the second layer, using the remaining cake, pudding, pineapple, bananas, cherry pie filling, and whipped topping. Sprinkle the pecan pieces on top of the last layer of whipped topping for a nice crunch.
05 -
Cover the cake and pop it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill before serving.
# Tips:
01 -
This makes a big dessert that's perfect for sharing at big gatherings or potlucks.
02 -
For an extra fancy presentation, try using a 4-quart trifle dish instead of a basic punch bowl.
03 -
Keep an eye on the cake as the baking time gets close since oven heat levels might not be the same.
04 -
You can make this dessert a day ahead and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve.