Couple of things about this, Mae. It sounds to me like there may have been too much baking soda in your recipe, reacting with all the acid from the banana and orange, which is why it got so tall so fast. I always test quick breads with a paring knife. The larger surface area of the blade gives you a lot more accurate read on the doneness of the center than a pick, which can betray you, as you found out. In the case of your loaf, if you had known that the center wasn't quite finished (raw batter still on the knife when you pulled it out), you could have covered it with foil and dropped the temperature by 25°F until you knew for sure that the cake was done. Don't give up! FYI, baking soda shouldn't be more than a quarter teaspoon per cup of flour in the recipe. Susan

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