Baking Help Needed

I have what I think is a really good banana bread recipe that bakes in a 3"x 9" loaf pan.  Sometime during the baking process, it splits down the middle, and the end result is a moist area on each side of the split when I remove it from the oven, It's not really raw dough, just very wet, while the cake parts around it are completely cooked.  When this happens, I'm tempted to leave the bread in the oven a little longer, but then I know it will dry out too much. 
Is the dough too dense for that size of pan? 
 
I'm wondering if I should change to a Bundt, or Tube pan, which I know there won't be enough batter to fill, if that matters.  I thought of dividing the dough between two smaller loaf pans, or using a square cake pan.  
 
Any ideas from some of you bakers?  

Do you mean a 5"x 9" loaf pan? I've never seen a 3"x 9" pan.
When I bake banana bread, I bake the recipe in small (mini) loaf pans. For a recipe that size, I can get 3 maybe 4 mini loaves from the amount of dough. I bake them at the same temp as called for in the recipe, but I bake the mini loaves 25 to 30 minutes instead of an hour.
 
Yes, the banana bread often develops a big crack down the middle as it bakes. Be sure you are not over mixing/beating the dough; quick breads like this need only enough mixing to incorporate all the ingredients and not have any spots of dry flour.
 
Check the mini loaves at 20 minutes to see if they are still wet on top; then check again at 25 minutes to see if the top area is now baked and no longer wet. Stick a toothpick in the very center of the loaf and see if any wet batter clings to the pick when it is taken out. If no, then remove pans from oven; if still wet, give them another 3-5 minutes.
 
BTW, I bake my banana and other quick breads at 325 degree F and NOT at 350.
Hope this helps.

tcrouzer - Thanks so much, I think the measurements are 3"x5''x9"  I'm going to try the smaller loaf pans - and check the recipe's baking temps.   Sounds like you solved it - 

One other thing: anybody who is baking in a less than brand new or professional oven should invest in a baking stone of some sort. It helps even out the temperature in the oven.
 
Bart

Baking is such a science as well as an art form with so many nuances that I follow the suggestion, "Do not try this at home!" Let the Pro's do it!

Belle -
 
I would say to reduce the heat and rotate your pan 1/2 way thru your bake time.
 
I love warm banannananna bread infact im eating some with cream cheese right now.  I tend to use more bannannannas than the recipe calls for but I love that flavor.
 
And then toasted the next day with butter or cream cheese.
 
But NO NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cajunking - has to have nuts, walnuts though, not pecans.  Them's the rules.  Does you bread split?
 
I bought some smaller loaf pans this morning, bananas, and am going to try everyone's suggestions - 325 - not fussing too much with it, rotating half-way which I usually do -ya'll are the greatest - thanks so much, and will let you know how it comes out. 

The banana bread was a great success, thanks to everyone's tips.  Didn't overwork the batter, baked in 2  smaller loaf pans - 325 oven, rotated the pans halfway through cooking.  Ended up with 2 nearly perfect loaves, (one of the loaves had 2-3 shallow cracks).  If I have any complaint, it's my own fault, as I think I rushed the bananas and should have left them out a few days longer which would've given the bread a more fuller banana flavor.
 

another trick with banana bread is we buy the old bananas when marked down to .19 lb  .they freeze well just put them in a ziplock bag and leave the peel on and defrost a few hours.

starfire62- thanks so much for this info, I never thought about freezing them -  

I have several pounds of banananas in the freezer for bread.
 
I add a touch of banana extract to boost the flavor but not too much. I also add extra bananananas
 
I am thinking this week when it snows it would be a good day for bananana bread
 
Glad the tips helped you

I'm a glutton for punishment.  I was given a recipe for pumpkin bread and it's delicious, moist, full of nuts, raisins, and spice, I couldn't tell it had pumpkin in it.  It's posted below as was given to me (without baking times).  Made it the way I did the banana bread, and after 25 minutes of baking, noticed the sides and ends cooking faster than the top.  Not wanting to dry it out or scorch it, I used some strips of aluminum foil and made a shield around the sides and ends, while the top finishing cooking, and it did fine.  Brought a loaf to work, and my co-workers gave rave reviews.  I was the only one in the group who thought it might need more spice, and suggested next time I made it, I'd use the spices listed for the pumpkin pie recipe on the canned pumpkin (Libbey's).  Everyone said "noooo, it's fine already, and LEAVE IT ALONE. 
 Also, canned pumpkin is sold in 15 oz. cans, and the recipe only calls for 1 cup (I used 1 heaping cup) so what do you do with 6-7 oz of the leftover canned pumpkin?  It makes sense to double the recipe, but don't know if it being short a couple ounces would affect the bread, and given my history, I didn't take any chances.
 
Anyway, some of you may have a tried and true recipe already, but this pumpkin bread was very unique to me,  somewhat of a challege, but worth making.  It would be interesting if someone make it and post his or her experience with it.  CajunKing?  you could do this - just leave out the nuts.
 
Pumpkin Bread
 
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
11/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
11/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 heaping teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts
 
Sift together dry ingedients and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine cooking oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and water.  Mix in dry ingedients, a litttle at a time, fold in raisins and nuts.  (I divided the batter between two 4" x 8" loaves and baked at 325).  
 
Bake 350 (325 better)
 

This recipe ( http://allrecipes.com/recipe/downeast-maine-pumpkin-bread/ ) looks very similar to yours (doubling the ingredients and using the whole can of pumpkin).  The main difference I see is they use about 30% more flour in proportion in their doubled recipe.  In fact, a number of the 90 pumpkin bread recipes at Allrecipes seem to use more flour, and using the whole can they are making three 7" by 3" loaves

Belle
 
i will try it I am home tomorrow and will make some and report how it turns out.

freeze the bananas in portions that the recipe calls for so you just get a bag out and dont have to mesure them

Belle -
 
I took yor sugestion and added a little more spice and did use the heaping measure of pumpkin with NO NUTS!!!!!!!!
 
I turned it 1/2 way thru and too noticed it was browning unevenly.  I took your steps with the foil and it came out wonderful.
 
I made some cream cheese icing to schmeer on it warm and...
 
THERE IS NONE LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh CajunKing that's wonderful, so glad to hear you tried it, and enjoyed it, - like minds from a fellow Louisianian. 
 
And 6Star, you are so right about those allrecipes for pumpkin bread, the first recipe shown does look like the one I posted, but doubled, with a little more flour, and I like the idea of different spices.  Thanks for posting it.

Belle
 
I saw a Cook's Country or America's Test Kitchen that had banana bread recipe that sounded wonderful, but can't seem to track it down.  :-(
 
It baked the whole banana skin & all first instead of using over ripe bananas.  Baking them brought out their sweetness and flavor more.
 
If i find it I will post it here

Cajunking - oh please do, as a while back I had a serioua bout with fruit flies, that I'm sure was from leaving bananas to overripen on the kitchen counter.
 
 

I agree about not overworking the batter.  For qucik breads or muffins the trick to not to over mix, just make sure there are not flour streaks remaining.