Best Banana Bread

Something that is always in my kitchen is bananas. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear my husband leaves them to get extra ripe so that I'm forced to make banana bread. (I hate wasting anything) I found this recipe over a year ago and have been tweaking it ever since. I feel that I've got it to the perfect point. This recipe has only failed me twice. The first failure was the first time I made it, recipe as found. The second failure was after hubby tinkered with the oven and now it heats up about 15 degrees hotter, so I had to adjust my baking temperature. All that aside, this recipe has a strong banana flavor and is a little on the sweeter side. It's really more cakey than bread-y and it's super moist. Enjoy!

2 c. unbleached white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
pure vanilla extract
pure cane sugar, to sprinkle (Sugar in the Raw or Woodstock brands work well)

Plan ahead: set the butter and eggs out until they are at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan or use a stoneware loaf pan (ungreased, of course). Get out three bowls, one large and two medium (or if you have one, just throw it all into the Kitchen Aid mixer). In large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In second bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together. In the third bowl, place the peeled bananas and mash. (I use an old-fashioned potato masher but a mixer or other device should work just as well). Stir the eggs in with the bananas and add a splash of the vanilla extract. Mix until blended well. Add the banana mixture into the brown sugar mixture and stir well. Add that bowl into the flour mixture and stir until blended together. Pour into your pan and sprinkle with cane sugar. Bake for one hour. Let it sit for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Enjoy!