Southern Banana Pudding vs Eierkuchen (German Pancakes)

Both desserts build on milk, eggs, sugar and butter, but they put them to very different work. In the banana pudding, milk and egg yolks are cooked into a thick, vanilla-scented custard that is layered with sliced bananas and wafers, then crowned with a golden baked meringue or softly whipped cream and chilled before serving. The Eierkuchen turns the same staples into a thin, lightly sweetened batter fried in butter until golden, with slightly crisp edges. One is creamy, cool and layered; the other is warm, tender and simple, finished with a dusting of sugar.