This is a very dense, sticky, moist cake, that befits an afternoon tea of yesteryear. Using the Medjool dates, rather than dried sugar coated chopped dates, is what makes this cake so moist and sticky. Using really dark brown sugar adds a toffee taste that you won’t find when using refined white sugars.
I might suggest you lather a slice with butter accompanied by a good wad of cheese. But that’s just me.
Preheat the oven to 160deg fan assisted. Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
Using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until well mixed and lighter in colour.
Add the eggs one at a time, adding a little flour each time. Mix until well combined.
Sieve the mixed spice and remaining flour together. Add this to the egg mix along the dates, 20g of walnuts, ripe bananas (roughly mashed) and 2 tablespoons of the honey. Mix until well combined.
Pour into the prepared cake tin. Scatter the remaining walnuts evenly over the top of the cake batter. Bake in the oven for approx 1hr 15 mins, or until baked. Testing the centre of the cake in various parts, with a skewer, until it comes out clean.
Leave in the tin to cool a little before turning out onto a wire wrack to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, gently heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey in a small pan over a medium heat. Take off the heat and pour the honey over the cake making sure you cover as much of the walnuts as possible.
Will probably keep for a couple of days if wrapped in baking parchment and kept in an air tight container.