Stella's Date and Banana Cake

This is a delightful cut and come again cake using healthy main ingredients, i.e. dates and banana.

Here are the ingredients:

8 ozs self raising flour
pinch of salt
4 ozs of soft margarine
4 ozs caster sugar
1 large banana
4 ozs of chopped dates
1 large egg
4 tablespoons milk
For the topping:
1/2 oz of chopped walnuts (optional)
2 level tablespoons demarara sugar

Method:

Measure out the self raising flour and put into a large bowl

Measure the soft margarine and add it to the flour.

Take the stones out of the dates and chop them up.

Then measure out the sugar and add it.

Rub the mixture into the fat and the sugar until it looks like breadcrums. I usually add the sugar after the fat.

Mash the banana and add it to the mixture with the chopped dates.

Add an egg.

Add 4 tablespoons of milk and mix together all the ingredients with a fork

Put a paper lining into a 2lb loaf tin. No need to grease.

Smooth the top with a fork or a knife and sprinkle with the demarara sugar and/or chopped walnuts.

Bake in the centre of the oven at gas mark 4 or equivalent.
When it is done it should look like this:

Leave to cool, then turn out onto an oblong plate.

We like to eat ours with a cup of tea on Sundays.  The outside of the cake is crisp and the inside is soft.  This cake will keep for two or three days under cling film or in a tin.

Enjoy!