Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 4x8-inch loaf pan.
• In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.
• Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.
• In another bowl, beat together all the ingredients for the cream cheese filling with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer.
• Pour half of the banana bread batter in the loaf pan. Top the batter with half of the cream cheese filling, one dollop at a time. Top with remaining batter. Top with the remaining cream cheese filling one dollop at a time.
• Insert a butter knife about halfway into the batter and run through the batter vertically and horizontally to swirl the cream cheese into the banana bread batter.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Cool the banana bread for a few minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Store covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.