Best EVER Banana Bread

Several years ago a friend shared her yummy banana bread recipe with me and our family LOVES it!  It has cream cheese in it and if you want my opinion anything with cream cheese is delicious.  I hope you enjoy it as well. 

3/4 cups butter, softened

1 - 8 oz. block cream cheese

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups flour

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

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

**Cream together butter and cream cheese, gradually add sugar beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time beating just until blended.

**Gradually add flour to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until blended.  Stir in bananas, nuts and vanilla. 

**Spoon into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.

**Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Shield during last 20 minutes of baking to prevent over browning the top. 

(If using all purpose flour - add in 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking soda)

Each batch will make enough for either 2 loaves or 1 loaf and a dozen muffins.

 

Addition to the Recipe:

 

Ok, I didn't think this bread could get any better than it already was but I was wrong.  I made up a batch today to use up some ripe banana's and I added 1/2 cup of applesauce and 1 small box of vanilla pudding which made it even more moist and soft.  YUMMO!