Island-Style Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 slightly beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (3 bananas)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup coconut

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of two loaf pans; set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
3. In a large bowl beat butter with electric mixer on high speed for 30 seconds.
4. Add 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, the 2 eggs and vanilla extract; beat until combined.
5. Add dry mixture and mashed banana alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.
6. Stir in pecans.
7. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese, remaining egg and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on medium speed until almost smooth.
8. Stir in coconut.
9. Pour one-fourth of the banana batter into each loaf pan.
10. Spoon one-fourth of the cream cheese mixture over each loaf.
11. Using a spatula, cut through the batter to marble.
12. Repeat the two layers as above, but do not marble.
13. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a wooden pick insert in center comes out clean.
14. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.
15. Remove loaves from pans. Cool completely.