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Bitter-soaked date and banana loaf
Serves: 10
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Maja Smend
Bitter-soaked date and banana loaf
This is a grown-up twist on banana cake. The sweetness of the dates and bananas are tempered by the dark beer and the slightly bitter walnuts, to produce a deeply satisfying and surprising loaf with just a hint of hoppiness
Serves: 10
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time:
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
367Kcal
Fat
21gr
Saturates
10gr
Carbs
37gr
Sugars
21gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
5gr
Salt
1gr
Ingredients
- 100g pitted dates
- 200ml bitter, or dark beer
- 175g butter
- 100g light brown sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 200g self-raising flour, sifted
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 75g walnuts, chopped
- 50g demerara sugar
Step by step
Get ahead
Keeps for up to 5 days in a cake tin.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Chop the dates into small pieces, place in a small pan with the beer, bring to the boil, and set to one side.
- Melt the butter in another pan, letting it foam and colour; remove it from the heat when it is speckled brown. Set to one side to cool a little. Line a 900g loaf tin (10cm x 20cm base measurement) with baking paper.
- Whisk the light brown sugar and eggs together with an electric mixer until foaming and increased in volume. Fold in the browned butter, the mashed bananas and soaked dates, plus any soaking liquid. Fold in the self-raising flour and salt, followed by the walnuts.
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin. Sprinkle the demerara sugar across the top of the cake mixture.
- Cook for 55-60 minutes or until the cake is risen and golden and a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out of the loaf tin. Leave to cool completely before slicing.