Ingredients

• 36 vanilla wafers
• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (3 ounce) package vanilla pudding mix
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 medium ripe bananas, cut into 24 slices

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F Grease 24 cupcake wells or line with paper liners. Count out 12 vanilla wafers for the garnish and set aside.

2. Place the remaining 24 vanilla wafers flat side down in the bottom of each cupcake well; set pans aside.

3. For the batter, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth, about 1 minute; you will have about 1 1/4 cups.

4. Place the cake mix, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl with the banana puree; blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl.

5. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat another 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

6. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake mold, filling 3/4 full. You'll get 22-24 cupcakes; remove empty liners, if using, or take out the batterless vanilla wafers if you're greasing the pans.

7. Bake until cupcakes are golden and spring back when touched, 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes; carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool 15 minutes on the racks before filling.

8. Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the milk in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the pudding mix until blended.

9. Place pan over medium heat and continue to whisk as the mixture comes to a full boil, 3-4 minutes; remove pan from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour the pudding into a medium bowl and cool for 20 minutes.

10. While the pudding is cooling, make the topping: Crush the remaining 12 vanilla wafers; set aside.

11. In a large chilled bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer (chilled beaters also) on high speed until thickened, 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the sugar; beat again until stiff peaks form, 1-2 minutes more.

12. To assemble the cupcakes, remove the paper liners and place cakes on a platter. Spoon the pudding into a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip.

13. Pipe a generous amount of pudding into each cupcake (1-2 Tbsp) through the center of the top, allowing about 1 teaspoons of the pudding to overflow onto the surface of the cupcakes.

14. Sprinkle the wafer crumbs on top of the pudding and dollop about 1 tablespoons of the whipped cream over the crumbs.

15. Just before serving, stand a banana slice in the whipped cream; serve.

16. Store the cupcakes, without the banana garnish, lightly covered in the refrigerator for 1 day; add the banana slice just before serving.