Banana Bread Filled With Cream Cheese

The layer of cream cheese brings this Banana Bread recipe to the next level! I found this recipe on the Averie Cooks website ( I tweaked it a little) and she has some fantastic recipes.

Ingredients:

Bread

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup mashed ripe bananas 

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Filling

1 egg

4 ounces of brick style cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons flour


Directions:

Set out the cream cheese to soften. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5" loaf pan with a floured cooking spray.

In a large bowl add the egg, brown sugar, canola oil, sour cream, vanilla and whisk to combine.

Add the mashed bananas and stir to incorporate.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with a spatula and gently fold in with a spatula until the mixture is just combined.

Pour about 2/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Make the cream cheese filling by adding all of the ingredients into a medium bowl and use a hand mixer or an immersion blender to mix the filling.

Evenly pour the cream cheese filling over the layer of banana filling. Use a spatula to get the filling evenly over the banana bread. Top the filling with the rest of the banana batter. Smooth the top lightly with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You will know when the bread is done - when the top is golden brown and domed up a little. The toothpick test isn't accurate because of the cream cheese layer.

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Then turn the bread onto a wire rack to continue cooling then onto a cutting boat to slice.

I placed the loaf on a large serving platter! Perfect for breakfast or an after school snack.

Maraschino Cherry Bread

This time of the year I am usually making pumpkin or apple bread - but we are experiencing  an unbelievable heat wave in Southern California. And I felt like making something fresh and light. So instead I woke up early and made this Maraschino Cherry Bread.

I love Maraschino Cherries!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 tablespoon salt

2 jars (10 ounces each) maraschino cherries

Glaze:

2  1/2cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" x 5" loaf pan with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl stir together the sugar, milk, oil and egg. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Drain the maraschino cherries. reserve the juice to make the glaze and some Shirley Temples. Coarsely chop the cherries and gentley fold the cherries into the batter.

Pour the bread batter into the loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread should come out clean. Allow the bread to cool for at least a half hour and tuen it out on a wire rack.

Place some foil or wax paper under the wire rack. Combine the powdered sugar, melted butter, cherry juice and almond extract. Sttir until a thick glaze forms and spoon it over the Maraschino Cherry bread.

 Let the glaze set and then slice the bread.

This is a wonderful bread to serve as an after school snack with a big glass of milk or a Shirley Temple!

Blueberry Lemon Bread

Blueberries have been on sale every where in the last two weeks. I have been putting them in my morning yogurt and in fruit salad.  But today I decided to make some blueberry lemon bread.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons milk


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and lightly flour a 8x4 loaf pan.

In a small bowl add the blueberries, 3 tablespoons of flour and the lemon zest. Mix and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, sugar, lemon juice and eggs.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture alternatively with the milk.

Slowly fold in the blueberries. Add the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 60 minutes.

Cool bread on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Run a knife around the parameter of the bread and place it on to a serving platter. I love the cracks on the top of this bread.

Once the bread is on a serving platter - stir up the glaze with the powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk. Drizzle the glaze over the bread. It will take the glaze a good hour to set. After the glaze has set - the bread can be sliced.

Yum! You can really taste the lemon and fresh berries.

Eggnog Bread

Last Christmas season I had a slice of eggnog bread at a party and wanted to go right home and Google eggnog bread recipes. However, I think I came home and fell asleep. Then I compulsively put all of my holiday decorations away. After all the holiday items are back in the storage containers I then compulsively clean the house. So I sorta forgot about the Eggnog bread recipe until this Christmas season.

I found this recipe on the just a pinch recipes and I am also planning on trying out at least one more eggnog bread recipe before the holiday season is over.

Sometimes I like eggnog and other times I have had eggnog and thought it was yucky. But this recipe is perfect. Eggnog lovers will love it! And eggnog haters will also love it!

I was without an oven for almost 12 days - once my oven was finally fixed I ran out and bought some eggnog so that I could make an eggnog bread!

This is a really easy recipe - in fact you probably have everything you need in your pantry and refrigerator with the exception of the eggnog and rum extract. I happened to have rum extract in my pantry so I only needed to get some eggnog.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup eggnog

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons rum extract

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

enough eggnog to make a glaze

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 5 inch pan.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar, eggnog, melted butter, rum and vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients until everything is smooth and combined. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder and nutmeg.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Let the loaf pan cool on a wire rack for about ten minutes.

Invert the loaf pan on the wire rack and turn the loaf over. Place the wire rack over a baking sheet.

Mix the powdered sugar and a few tablespoons of eggnog until the glaze is nice and thick. I actually made the glaze twice and because I like a lot of glaze.

Once the glaze is firm you can slice and serve the bread. Yum! This would make a great hostess gift or breakfast treat for Christmas morning.

I sliced mine a little two early and some of the glaze pooled a little.

Pecan Apple Caramel Bread

I can't stop making loaf breads! Especially loaf recipes made with apples and topped with a caramel sauce. I found this recipe on My Recipes. However, I have been researching some recipes made with pumpkin puree. Check back next week!

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped apples - I used Granny Smith

Caramel Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In your stand mixer combine the sour cream, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.

In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low until everything is combined.

Add 3/4 cup of chopped pecan to the batter and the chopped apples. Stir until everything is combined. The batter will be really thick. Pour the batter into the prepared pan sand top with the remaining pecans.

Bake for approximately 1 hour. Make sure a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean

Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes. Then release the bread on a wire rack. Place a baking sheet under the wire rack.

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Let the mixture cool and thicken for a minute or two and then pour it over the loaf.

Let the icing harden for an hour or two and then slice up the loaf into to serving size pieces.Yum!

While this loaf bread is baking your house will smell delightful! I think you could also substitute walnuts for the pecans.

I absolutely love the simple glaze on this bread - I can't wait to have a slice for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread with Chocolate Glaze

Lately I have been making a lot of loaf pan type bread. My husband wanted me to make some Banana Nut bread! I found a great recipe for the Chocolate Chip Banana Nut bread on seevanessacraft.com and I decided to add the chocolate glaze. I love a glaze on my baked goods! This was a very easy recipe and I just used a wooden spoon and two mixing bowls. So clean up was very easy!

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

pinch of salt

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Glaze:

6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons of shortening

Directions:

Butter and lightly flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients - baking soda. sugar, brown sugar, flour and salt.

In a separate bowl mash the bananas and combine with the butter and egg.

Mix dry and wet ingredients together until smooth. Mix in chopped walnuts and mini chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Put the bittersweet chocolate and shortening into a small saucepan and heat on low - stirring frequently until the mixture is smooth and melted. Invert the bread and place it right side up on the wire rack and pour the chocolate over the Banana Bread!

Wait for the chocolate to harden before slicing.

Yum! This bread was fantastic! So easy to make and clean up. My glaze turned out a little too thick - but I took a phone call and that is when is got a little clumpy. Live and learn!

Carmel Apple Bread

I saw this recipe and knowing my love of Carmel Apples - I knew I would be making this! I found recipe on the the domestic rebel- this the second time I have made a recipe from this website. I changed the recipe a little because I am a recipe rebel!

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups of flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups coarsely chopped apples

1/4 cup Caramel  sundae sauce

For Crumb Mixture:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons cold butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 5 x 9" loaf pan with a non-stick baking spray.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together. In a separate bowl dissolve the baking soda into the lemon juice.. The mixture will foam up! Add the foaming mixture, eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat to combine.

Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture and mix until a thick batter forms. Stir in the chopped apples by hand.

Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the crumb ingredients and mix until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.

Add 1/2 of the apple batter to the prepared loaf pan. Drizzle with the carmel sauce and sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Top the crumb mixture with the rest of the apple batter.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Check to make sure that the bread is completely cooked by inserting a toothpick in the middle and making sure that it comes out clean. Cool bread in the pan on a wire rack for a half hour. Then remove from the pan and slice.

The bread can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature tightly wrapped. Yum!

The next time I make this recipe - I am thinking about maybe adding 3/4 cup of golden raisins. I will let you know if do and the outcome. The Fall season is my favorite baking season!

Starbucks Lemon Loaf - The True Copycat Recipe?

 I know, I know I made a Starbucks Lemon Loaf last week. But I often try 5 or 6 varieties of the same recipe. Example: my four different Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipes. How could I not try out the recipe with the words "the true copycat recipe" in the title? But when I read the recipe it started with a boxed cake mix.

Now, I don't want to be a cooking from scratch snob - there is a time and place for a boxed cake mix. However,  I think a Lemon Loaf is something that is pretty easy to make from scratch. But once I Googled the Starbucks Lemon Loaf - this recipe came up time and time again on several blogs. Everyone said it was just like the Starbucks Lemon Loaf. Soooo...I just had to try this recipe.

I gave my husband a piece and asked him if he thought it tasted like the Starbucks version. He said that it was better. Last week I brought some Lemon Loaf to my friend Kim who just had knee surgery and I also served it to my friend who stopped by - but she lives 45 minutes away. My husband was away on business when I made the other Starbucks Lemon Loaf recipe. So the true unbiased taste test will fall on Kim's shoulders! I will bring her some this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

I found this recipe on a blog called Let the Baking Begin and I think that is a really cute name for a baking blog!

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

5.1 ounce instant lemon pudding mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

8 ounces sour cream

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Lemon Topping:

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9 x 5" loaf pans. Set aside.

Combine the cake mix and lemon pudding mix in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl combine the vegetable oil, eggs, milk, sour cream and lemon juice. Whisk until everything is well combined.

Add one cup at a tim of the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Mix on low speed (I just used an immersion blender) for about 15 - 20 seconds after each wet mixture addition. Do not over
beat or your cake will deflate.

Divide the batter evenly between two loaf pans. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove the pans from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the loaves from the pans and let them cool on a wire rack.

I placed the cakes on parchment paper in order to frost them.

Beat the butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon extract until smooth and spread the icing over both loaves. Let the icing harden before slicing. Sometimes I make extra frosting (like today) - because I am a generous froster!

I love Lemon themed baked goods! I will let you know what Kim thinks tomorrow!

Okay - both Kim and I agree! The first recipe was a little better and more lemony! But try both recipes and decide for yourself!

Starbucks Lemon Loaf

This is a Copycat recipe. I was almost tempted to run over to Starbucks and buy a slice so that I could compare. Then I decided to relax - which is super difficult with my type A personality. I found this recipe on www.onsuttonplace.com and I did change the recipe a little - I added more glaze because the Lemon Loaf slices at my Starbucks have a lot of glaze. I will not be stingy with the glaze! I am a generous glazer! I also decided to use good old-fashioned elbow grease instead of my stand mixer.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons lemon extract

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

zest of two small lemons or one large lemon

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon lemon extract

juice of two small lemons or one large lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spay a 9 x 5 loaf pan with a baking spray.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice. You can use your stand mixer - but I was feeling lazy and didn't want to clean my stand mixer. I just used a whisk and some old fashioned elbow grease.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Keep whisking until everything is well combined.

Stir in lemon zest and oil. Mix throughly. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Make sure that a toothpick comes out clean after 45 minutes.

After the Lemon Loaf comes out of the oven - whisk the glaze ingredients together.

Put the Lemon Loaf on a wire rack and place the rack over a baking sheet. Then pour the glaze over the Lemon Loaf.  Once the glaze has hardened gently slice the Lemon Loaf. It was hot so I placed the Lemon Loaf in the refrigerator for about a half hour. Then the Lemon Loaf sliced perfectly.

This Lemon Loaf turned out perfectly! I think it even tastes like Starbucks Lemon Loaf.

My little taste test!

Notice the heavily glazed top of the Lemon Loaf?

I think I might go to Starbucks tomorrow morning after all to compare Lemon Loaves!