Cream Cheese Banana Bread

My fabulous friend Ashley over at Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life asked for banana bread recipes, so here's mine! It's from Southern Living and it is wonderful!

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Yield: Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
· 3/4 cup butter, softened
· 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
· 2 cups sugar
· 2 large eggs
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (1 1/4 pounds unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)
· 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpans.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.