Perfect Banana Bread

Directions

1. Heat oven to 335°F, prepare a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl, and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until well incorporated. About 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to cream the butter mixture for another 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until the mixture is creamy and well incorporated. Add in the banana mixture, and stir together well. Don’t worry about what the mixture looks like, it will come together once you add in the dry ingredients, the goal here is to just incorporate the wet ingredients well.
5. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves, and add into the wet ingredients and stir in, just until most of the flour is incorporated. Pour into the loaf pan and smooth the top, making sure to push the batter into the corners and edges of the pan.
6. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with roughly chopped pecans. Mix 1 tablespoon demerera sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle over the pecans.
7. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Check at 45 minutes, by inserting a tester and making sure it comes out clean. Timing depends on how cold the mixture was going in. Once baked, remove to a cooling rack, and let come to room temperature. Enjoy!