Growing up, I was always good at math. But as an adult, there is one formula I simply cannot master–how many bananas to buy. Mathematically it looks something like this: (# of bananas each family member will eat per day) x (# of days before bananas will go bad) – (# of bananas I will eat from my office kitchen) = # of bananas I should buy. You can practically see the gears turning as I stand in front of the banana display at the grocery store. Of course I also have to factor in each family member’s preferred level of banana ripeness (ranging from “just ripe” for Jake to “almost banana bread worthy” for me). And then there’s the weather–if it’s humid at all, the bananas will ripen faster than we can eat them, throwing the previously mentioned equation out the window. Not that the formula is perfect anyway, as evidenced by the amount of bananas currently residing in my freezer waiting to be mashed into a smoothie (I hate washing the blender) or ice cream substitute (come on…there’s no substitute for ice cream…).
I decided to make banana bread with this week’s batch of overripe bananas. Here’s the thing about banana bread: I don’t love it–I “nothing” it (when I told my husband this, he said he learns something new about me every day. He always thought I liked banana bread since I make it often—but I only make it so I won’t waste my overripe bananas!). It’s not that I don’t like breads. I love my mom’s zucchini bread (she puts chocolate chips in it and no nuts–it’s scrumptious!). I love any kind of cinnamon bread. I love Arlene’s Pumpkin Bread. But banana bread I can take or leave. I’m always searching for that “perfect banana bread recipe that will make me want to come back for seconds”. And now I found it.
I came up with this recipe by combining some of the components of Arlene’s Pumpkin Bread with a banana bread recipe I’ve made before (with good but not amazing results). Voila! Perfect banana bread that had me coming back for seconds.
But wait, there’s more! This banana bread has a crumb topping that just makes it over-the-top good. No joke—this is literally the first loaf of banana bread that my family finished. Ever. Jay, Jake and I all had more than one slice (usually the boys have one piece, say they like it, and never touch it again. And I eat and/or freeze the rest.) We just kept eating it until it was gone. Since nothing is off limits in my house, we also took a few pieces, put them on a buttered griddle, and fried them up like French toast minus the egg. And then put syrup on them. And then died and went to heaven.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup margarine (1/2 stick), softened
- 4 oz Philadelphia original cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 overripe bananas, mashed (approximately 1¼ cups mashed)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon margarine (softened)
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl combine sugar, brown sugar, margarine and cream cheese with an electric mixer. Mix until well blended.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Stir in mashed bananas with a rubber spatula or large spoon.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Stir with large spoon or wire whisk until blended.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing with the electric mixer just until moistened.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan.
- Prepare the crumb topping by combining 2 Tablespoons flour, 1 Tablespoon margarine, 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a mug or small bowl. Mix with a fork until thoroughly combined and crumbly.
- Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the batter in the loaf pan.
- Lightly run a butter knife through the crumb topping in both directions (not necessary, but I do it so the crumb topping seeps into the batter a little bit).
- Bake 50-60 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Mine took 54 minutes.)
- Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.