Servings: 2 8½ x 4½ loaves
- 6 very ripe and soft medium bananas
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350º. Lightly butter and flour to 8½ x 4½ inch loaf pans, tapping out the excess flour.
Mash the bananas in a medium bowl with a potato masher or fork until smooth, with a few pea sized lumps. You should have about 2 cups.
Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, cream the sugar and cream cheese together. One at a time, beat in the eggs, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Mix in the mashed bananas until well combined. Stir in the walnuts or pecans. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Don't overmix or be concerned about a few small lumps. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake until a wooden skewer comes out clean and the batter in the cracks on the top of the breads looks cooked, about 1 hour.
Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the pans to loosen the loaves. Takes the loaves out of the pan using a kitchen towel, and let cool on a rack completely.