Betty Crocker Banana Bread

Banana bread...so yummy!  This is  a Betty Crocker recipe.  I'm not sure which recipe I've found has been better...but this one was really good! 

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 or 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired (I used black walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches, or one loaf pan, 9 x 5 x 3 inches. Mix sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until just moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans. Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour. Bake 9-inch loaf about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pans on wire rack. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack until completely cooled. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.