A Great New Banana Bread Recipe

I tried this new banana bread recipe this evening.  It was excellent!  I'm not a great fan of banana bread--I can take it or leave it, but this is an exception!  

I like to post recipes that I want to keep on my blog so I can find them easily.  

I may try mixing the filling with 2 T. (or more) butter to make crumbles.  The recipe I tried didn't use any.

Creamy Banana Bread

½ cup butter, softened

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs 

3 mashed bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

¾ cup chopped pecans

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 T. ground cinnamon

    *Optional, 2 T. Softened butter

Directions

Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4-inch loaf pans.

Step 2 Cream the margarine and cream cheese together. Gradually add the white sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda; mix until batter is just moist.

Step 3 In a small bowl, mix together chopped pecans, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and cinnamon.  (Optional, 2 T. Softened butter.

Step 4 Divide half the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the batter in the pans, and top with remaining batter.

Step 5 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean, about 45 minutes.