Step 2

Mash the bananas to a purée and snip the dates into small pieces with kitchen scissors, which is far easier than chopping them with a knife.

Step 3

Put the flour, cinnamon, softened butter, dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp of the honey and the beaten eggs into a large bowl, then add the mashed banana and the dates.

Step 4

Beat it all together for 2–3 minutes with a wooden spoon or a hand mixer, until the batter is evenly colored with no streaks of flour.

Step 5

Spoon it into the pan, level the surface and scatter the broken walnuts over the top.

Step 6

Bake for 1 hour, then press the middle gently. It should feel firm and spring back; if it dips, give it another 10 minutes.

Step 7

Let it settle in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the paper and leave it to go completely cold.

Step 8

Drizzle the last tbsp of honey over the cooled loaf and cut it into thick slices.