Banana and Date Cake with a Honey and Walnut Glaze

Olive’s recipe for Banana and Date Cake with a Honey and Walnut Glaze, as served in Vélo Peloton Pyrénées Cycling Lodge.

Ingredients

175g softened butter, plus extra for the tin
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
100g light muscovado sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp clear honey
2 overripe bananas (about 350g with skins on)
100g stoned dates
50g chopped walnuts

For The Glaze

2 tbsp clear honey
25g butter
50g walnut halves

Method

Cake:

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter and line the base of an 20/22cm round cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Beat the butter, honey and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time. If the mixture looks like it is splitting add a little of the flour.
4. Sieve the combined flour and cinnamon into the batter and mix until just combined.
5. Mash the bananas and chop the dates. Stir into the cake mix with the walnuts.
6. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
7. Bake for 40-50 mins until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Glaze:

1. Put the honey and butter in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted. Boil briefly, about 1 min, until slightly thickened.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Leave to cool until thickened and opaque. Spoon over the top of the cake and leave to set.

Finally:

Slice up and serve with créme fraiche. Omnomnomnom.