Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

Miss Annie's Note:

For a request from Southern Living, January edition. Submitted by Willie Monroe, Homewood, Alabama. Prep time does not include making toppings. The nutrition facts includes all of the topping ingredients.

• Total Time: 24 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 24 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-10

Yield: 2.0 Loaves

• ¾ cup butter , softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups bananas , mashed (about 1 1/4 lbs. or 4 medium)
• 1 cup pecans , chopped, toasted
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Orange Pecan Topping

• 1 cup pecans , coarsely chopped, toasted
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice , fresh
• 1 teaspoon orange rind , grated

Cinnamon-Crisp Topping

• ½ cup brown sugar , firmly packed
• ½ cup pecans , coarsely chopped, toasted
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon butter , melted
• 1⁄8; teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with electric mixer, until creamy.
2. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
4. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.
5. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla.
6. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8 x 4 inch loafpans.
7. Bake at 350º for 1 hour, or until tests clean. (Shield with foil the last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary.
8. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
9. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.
10. Orange Pecan Topping:.
11. Sprinkle pecans over batter before baking.
12. Cool bread 10 minutes, remove from pans.
13. Stir together sugar, orange juice and orange rind.
14. Drizzle evenly over warm bread.
15. Cinnamon-Crisp Topping.
16. Stir together brown sugar, toasted pecans, flour, melted butter and cinnamon.
17. Sprinle mixture evenly over batter.
18. Bake and cool bread.

Reviews

[NancyLou9]

I first discovered this recipe when my family gave me a Southern Living cookbook for Christmas. This is, bar none, the BEST recipe for Banana Nut bread found anywhere.

I've never understood, however, why it is people will come onto these sites, rave about the recipe, and then say, "But I changed it a bit and did..." If you have to change the recipe, you obviously didn't love it, you just want people to give you validation yours is better.

My strong, STRONG suggestion is to not listen to the people who want you to do things their way (read: control freaks) and follow this tried-and-true recipe. It's the best one you'll find anywhere. Oh, and the first three ingredients make a darn good frosting if you use powdered instead of granular sugar.

[ladyfingers]

I didn't have time to make topping, but the banana bread is delicious without any. This recipe halves easily and makes a nice light loaf. Next time I will try it with a topping. Thanks Miss Annie--I read your bio and just ordered a copy of "Texas Home Cooking." It sounds like an interesting cookbook and worth a try!

[Old School Chef]

I made this for a bunch of fishermen and women at fish camp up here in Alaska and they have requested it two more times in a week. The only change I made was adding a rounded tsp. of cinnamon and also cut back on the sugar. I didn't add any toppings yet but will try it on the next loaf.