Date & Banana Loaf

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I absolutely love baking, it's something I've always found very therapeutic, plus you get a tasty treat at the end! A couple of weeks ago I decided to try and create my own recipe for a date and banana cake. After tasting something very similar at a friends house I was inspired to make my own. The recipe is mine but I have to give some credit to Mary Berry as it was slightly based on a recipe I found in one of her cook books. Though I'm sure you will find similar variants else where  if there are any ingredients that don't take your fancy. This cake is a gorgeous tea time treat and perfect for a summer picnic!

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You will need: 

250g of self raising flour 

115g of caster sugar

85g of butter 

2 eggs 

45g of ground almonds 

250g of plain yogurt 

2 mashed bananas 

8 stoned and roughly chopped dates

1 tbsp milk 

1tsp baking powder 

1 handful of pecan nuts for popping on the top (optional)

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Step 1

Pre heat the oven to 190C/370F and line a medium bread loaf tin with grease proof paper.

Step 2

Place all dry ingredients (bar the pecan nuts) in to a mixing bowl and mix together.

Step 3

Melt butter and mix with eggs. Then add all other wet ingredients together with the butter and egg mixture and stir together thoroughly

Step 4
Add wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix ( I use my kitchen Aid but electric whisk will do)

Step 5

Bake for about 40 minutes, but check regularly. The cake should be nice and brown on the top and make sure to do the knife test before taking it out.

Step 6

Leave to cool for 30 minutes (if you can resist).
Pop the kettle on and enjoy!

 Hannah xo