Name: Banana Nut Bread
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter, softened; 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened; 2 cups sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 cups chopped pecans, divided; ORANGE GLAZE:; 1 cup confectioners' sugar; 3 tablespoons orange juice; 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

This banana nut bread recipe has everything: tangy cream cheese, crunchy pecans and sweet bananas, of course, plus a rich glaze that makes it the best banana bread you've ever eaten.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped pecans, divided

ORANGE GLAZE:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Instructions

1 Mix the wet ingredients

2 Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the bananas and vanilla.

3 Mix the dough

4 In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Fold in 1 cup of pecans. Editor's Tip: Avoid a gummy banana bread: Don't overmix. When adding the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mix until the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing will affect the texture of the baked bread.

5 Fill the pans and garnish

6 Transfer the dough to two greased 8x4-inch loaf pans, smoothing the surface evenly. Sprinkle on the remaining cup of pecans. Editor's Tip: Make a sling by laying a long, thin rectangle of parchment across the pan's narrowest sides, with the ends sticking up above the rim. After baking, you can lift the loaves straight out, without tipping the pan upside down, and avoid disturbing the nut topping.

7 Bake and cool

8 Bake the loaves until a toothpick inserted in each center comes out clean, 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans before removing the loaves and transferring them to wire racks to cool. Editor's Tip: Cover the loaves with foil after 30 minutes if they are darkening too rapidly.