Date & banana ripple slice difficulty ** #64

Cuts into 10 

Preparing time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 85 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 250 g stoned dates, roughly chopped 
• finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon  
• 100 ml water
• 2 small very ripe bananas
• 150 g slightly salted butter, softened 
• 150 g caster sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 100 ml milk 
• 275 g self-raising flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Put 200 g of the dates in a small saucepan with the lemon rind and juice and measurement water
2. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes until the dates are soft and pulpy
3. Mash the mixture with a fork until fairly smooth 
4. Leave to cool 
5. Mash the bananas to a puree in a bowl, then add the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, flour and baking powder and beat together until smooth 
6. Spoon a third of the mixture into a greased and lined 1.25 kg or 1.5 litre loaf tin and level the surface 
7. Spoon over half the date puree and spread evenly 
8. Add the half the remaining cake mixture spread with the remaining puree
9. Add the remaining cake mixture and level the surface 
10. Scatter with the reserved dates and bake in a preheated oven, 160 C( 325 F),Gas Mark 3, for about 1 h 20 minutes or until risen and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean 
11. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then loosen at the ends and transfer to a wire rack 
12. Peel off the lining paper and leave the cake to cool completely.
13. Enjoy! :-)