Best Ever Banana Bread

This banana bread is to die for. I have tasted many banana breads over the years, but this is by far and away the best; soft, spongey and moist. I was given the recipe by a friend in Las Vegas, who served it up for breakfast, but it's an afternoon tea treat for us Kiwis. She got the recipe from a Martha Stewart cookbook. It keeps beautifully, is just as nice a day or two after it's cooked - if you can get it to last that long! (If you want it to keep I suggest you double the mixture and make two!) I have made it gluten free using Healtheries Baking Mix and it's just as delicious. You wouldn't know it was gluten free. I'll include the instructions for GF at the bottom of the recipe. The nuts are optional.

Ingredients

125 g	Butter
1 cup	Sugar
2 large	Eggs
1 ½ cups	Standard flour
1 tsp	Baking soda
1 tsp	Salt
1 cup	Banana, Very ripe, mashed (Main)
½ cup	Sour cream
1 tsp	Vanilla essence/extract
½ cup	Pecans, Or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, (or using electric hand-held beaters) cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
4. FOR GLUTEN FREE: Replace flour with 210g Healtheries Simple Baking Mix and reduce both the baking soda and salt to half a teaspoon each. (Healtheries Baking Mix already contains some baking powder, salt and xanthan gum.)