Cakes- (1) Banana Bread, (2)Walnut and Date Cake

Schools back and the hungry hoards require nourishment of the lunch box variety to survive the day or at least until they can fall into the car and exclaim I'm hungry! What's nice to eat?"
At hand six not so appetitising bananas and the basic cake ingredients makes for several loaves of banana bread. Also at hand some dates and walnuts - date and walnut cake anyone? I do like these recipes because they do introduce a level of fibre into the diet, although they are still laden with sugar.

BANANA BREAD
I made double the recipe and cooked the two loaves together for an hour at 180 C. It freezes well as individual slices so that I can pull out the required slices of cake each morning and throw them in the lunch boxes as required. It never last long in our fridge so I cant give you a shelf life.

For one cake

125 gram butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
3 ripe bananas mashed (or just throw them in your mixer if it is heavy duty enough)
2 cups self raising flour

Cream butter and sugar
Beat in egg
Add bananas
Throw in dry ingredients

Pour into greased loaf tin  cook 45-60 minutes at 180 C or until skewer remains clean on prick test
Rest 5 minutes before turning out
Cool Cut wrap and freeze or devour one and save the rest.
My kids usually hoe into the banana bread as a dessert with icecream.

JILL'S WALNUT AND DATE CAKE

This cake doesn't appeal to my children as much as it appeals to me but it doesnt stop them from consuming the lot before I can get at it. Its a lovely moist cake but dont bother licking the bowl as it is made with olive oil instead of butter (Not the same as creamed butter and sugar) But a yummy cake when cooked. It has quiet a deep rich looking texture.

In a large bowl mix the following ingredients and then rest for 15-45 minutes until softened

1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 teaspoon Soda bicarbonate
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup boiling water

In the mean time beat together until it ribbons

1 cup caster sugar
1 egg

Add
1cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice (all spice)

Stir until combined
Add date mix
combine

Pour into 25 x 10 cm loaf tin
Cook 45 minutes at 180 C til skewer prick test removed cleanly
Rest for 5 minutes before turning out.