Banana Pudding Cheesecake

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Set aside.

Step 2

Start by making the crust. Mix the Nilla wafer crumbs, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Step 3

Press the crust into the bottom and sides of the springform pan in a thick, even layer. Place the pan into the oven to bake for 12 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool while you make the cheesecake batter.

Step 4

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

Step 5

To make the cheesecake batter, start by placing the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat together on high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down intermittently with a rubber spatula.

Step 6

Add the heavy cream, mashed banana, sour cream, lime juice, vanilla and salt to the bowl and beat together for 30-45 seconds or until well incorporated. Next, add in the eggs and mix until incorporated, about 15 seconds.

Step 7

Lastly, add the banana cream pudding and cornstarch. Mix just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan on top of the crust. Smooth out.

Step 8

Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with tin foil to prevent water from seeping in. Place the springform pan into a larger baking pan or broiler pan. Fill the broiler pan with 1” warm water to create a water bath.

Step 9

Place the pans into the oven to bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temp to 250°F and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Step 10

Once baked, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in with the door closed to rest for 30 minutes. Prop the oven door open slightly and let the cheesecake rest for another 30 minutes.

Step 11

Once rested, remove the cheesecake from the oven, unwrap the tin foil and place the pan onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, cover and place into the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours.

Step 12

To make the whipped frosting, start by placing the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat together on high speed for 2 minutes or until soft peaks have formed. Scrape the sides of the bowl down intermittently to ensure everything gets mixed in. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a separate bowl.

Step 13

Add the heavy cream to the stand mixer bowl. Use a whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream at high speed for 3-4 minutes or until stiff peaks have formed. Once stiff peaks have formed, add the cream cheese mixture and use a rubber spatula to fold the two together until smooth. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with the tip of your choice.

Step 14

Once the cheesecake has chilled, release the springform and remove the pan sides from the cheesecake. Pipe the frosting on in swirls around the top edge of the cheesecake.

Step 15

Sprinkle vanilla wafer cookie pieces on then top with fresh banana slices. Slice and serve.