Half Strawberry Shortcake, Half Banana Pudding Cake (Print Version)

Ingredients:

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour.
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar.
03 - 1 tsp baking powder.
04 - ¼ tsp salt.
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter (cold, cubed).
06 - 1 large egg.
07 - ½ cup milk.
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract.
09 - 1 cup fresh strawberries (sliced).
10 - 1 cup milk (for pudding).
11 - 1 cup heavy cream (for pudding).
12 - ½ cup granulated sugar (for pudding).
13 - 1 tsp vanilla extract (for pudding).
14 - 2 tbsp cornstarch.
15 - 3 large egg yolks.
16 - 2 ripe bananas (sliced).
17 - 1 package vanilla wafers (for layering).
18 - 1 cup heavy cream (for topping).
19 - ¼ cup powdered sugar (for topping).
20 - 1 tsp vanilla extract (for topping).

Instructions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan.
02 - In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry mixture, then fold in the sliced strawberries.
04 - Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
05 - For the banana pudding, heat milk, sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and allow the mixture to cool.
06 - Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the cooled pudding mixture.
07 - Slice the cooled shortcake horizontally. Place the bottom half on a serving plate and layer with half of the banana pudding, banana slices, and vanilla wafers.
08 - Place the second cake layer on top, spread the remaining banana pudding, and garnish with more banana slices and vanilla wafers.
09 - In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake.

Notes:

01 - This cake is a perfect fusion of classic strawberry shortcake and creamy banana pudding, combining the sweetness of strawberries with the richness of banana pudding and vanilla wafers.
02 - Chilling the pudding before assembling ensures a firm texture and better flavor.