Banana and Date Cake - tastes better than it sounds! (Cakes)

Member Name: terasahunt

Product:	Cakes
Date:	16/03/09 (60 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to make, healthier than shop made alternatives.

Disadvantages: Need a loaf tin - and not everyone has one in their cupboard!

Banana and Date Cake - tastes a lot better than it sounds!

This particular recipe was given to me by my sister. It is easy to make and is healthier than shop bought ones that contain artificial additives/preservatives etc.

Ingredients:

225g self raising flour.
100g butter.
175g brown sugar.
2 ripe bananas.
1 egg.
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence.
Splash of milk.
Raisons - quantity to suit.
Dates - quantity to suit (I recommend approx 4 ).


Method:

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl.

2. Add the butter (making sure its slightly softened first), and rub into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.

3. Stir in the brown sugar, raisons and chopped dates.

4. Mash the bananas, then add this into the bowl.

5. Add the egg (beaten), vanilla essence and a splash of milk, to get a soft/wet consistency. Mix well.

6. Lightly grease a loaf tin and pre heat the oven to 150 degrees fan oven/160 degrees standard oven.

7. Add the cake mix into the loaf tin, and then place in the oven for approx 1 1/4 hours fan oven / 1 1/2 hours standard oven.

8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool properly.


This cake tastes lovely and moist when warm, but will also keep well when wrapped up in foil etc.
The dates (although they may sound horrible to some), really give the cake some flavour (without tasting too much like dates!!). It is also another good way of getting the kids to have some extra fruit - without them realising!

Summary: Try it and see!