Cinnamon-Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1.5 cups bananas very ripe unpeeled mashed
• 0.3 cup firmly brown sugar packed
• 0.3 cup butter softened
• 1.5 teaspoons butter melted
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 1.5 teaspoons flour all-purpose
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 0.3 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 cup pecans divided chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1.5 cups flour whole wheat

Equipment

• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• loaf pan
• hand mixer
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Place 3/4 cup pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 6 minutes.
3. Beat softened butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
5. Combine whole wheat flour and next 4 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in bananas, 3/4 cup toasted pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loaf pans.
6. Stir together brown sugar, reserved 1/4 cup chopped pecans (not toasted), 1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp. melted butter, and ground cinnamon. Lightly sprinkle mixture over batter in pans.
7. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides of bread pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil during last 15 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
8. Remove from pans to wire racks.
9. Let cool 30 minutes.