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If the top center of the bread looks too moist when you take it out of the bread machine, you can try the classic baking “toothpick test”. Gently push a toothpick/chopstick/skewer into the top of the bread and see if any batter sticks to the toothpick/chopstick/skewer. Make sure to wear oven gloves because the bread pan and bread machine will still be hot. If batter is sticking to the toothpick/chopstick/skewer then it hasn’t completely cooked. Place the bread loaf pan back into the still warm bread machine for another 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, remove the bread pan and test the banana bread again with a toothpick/chopstick/skewer. FYI – Given variability in banana sizes, banana breads tend to have more moistness variability than many other recipes. Moreover, since most bread machines turn off automatically after a specified time and you can not adjust the baking temperature, they are little less flexible than ovens in dealing with baking “variances”. Thus the need to use the toothpick test if the banana bread top looks too moist (or you can skip the toothpick test and just leave the banana bread in the still warm bread machine for an extra 5 minutes if the top looks a little too moist).
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For long-term storage, you should freeze the banana bread. It should be completely wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then placed in a resealable plastic bag. Place the wrapped banana bread in the freezer and it should last for several months. FYI – Some people prefer to slice the banana bread first (and then wrap each slice) before freezing because it is easier to thaw out the desired number of slices versus dealing with an entire frozen banana bread loaf.
If you are still having trouble finding the quick bread setting, check your bread machine manual for details regarding the cake setting on your machine. Some bread machines have a cake setting that states that they can be used for quick breads (and the mixing & baking will last roughly for 1 hour 40-50 minutes). However, other bread machines have a cake setting that is not designed for quick breads. For example, my bread machine (Sunbeam) has a cake setting (that lasts for 2 hours 50 minutes) and a quick bread setting (that lasts for 1 hour 40 minutes). Therefore, this recipe would probably not work well with the cake setting on my machine. I know this can be super confusing… but always read your bread machine manual and look for the specific setting designed for “quick breads” (that use baking soda/powder).
Moreover, in many bread machines, the “sweet bread” setting is used for very sweet breads that use yeast (not baking soda/powder). A tad confusing! Nevertheless, sweet bread recipes are different from quick bread recipes and utilize different mixing & baking times. Therefore, a bread machine quick bread recipe (i.e. banana bread) is unlikely to work on the sweet bread setting. Check your bread machine instructions for the exact setting used for quick bread recipes (that utilize baking soda/powder – not yeast).
When the bread machine has finished baking the bread, unplug the bread machine, remove the bread pan and place it on a wooden cutting board. Let the bread stay within the bread loaf container for 10 minutes before you remove it from the bread loaf container. Use oven mitts when removing the bread machine container (bread loaf pan) because it will be very hot!
