Banana Bread

Banana Bread
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed, about 1 cup mashed banana
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease and flour 5x9x3-inch loaf pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fluffy. Stir in flour mixture alternately with mashed bananas. Fold in pecans and orange peel and vanilla. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick, when inserted in center, comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; turn banana bread out onto a rack to cool completely.