One of my favourite things to do with friends is share afternoon tea; it’s a great way to see old friends and gossip over cake. This loaf is perfect for slicing up and sharing. There’s something very wholesome about the combination of banana and date, with the added crunch from the walnuts.

INGREDIENTS 

coconut oil, for greasing

2½ ripe bananas, peeled

200g (1½ cups) buckwheat flour

25g (¼ cup)

chopped unsalted raw walnuts

1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate

of soda

110g (   cup) deglet nour dates, pitted and chopped

190ml (¾ cup) unsweetened almond milk

a pinch of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3 and grease an 18cm x 8cm loaf tin with a little coconut oil and line with greaseproof paper.

2. Mash 2 bananas and slice the remaining half-banana.

3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, walnuts, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt.

4. Stir in the mashed and sliced bananas and chopped dates and slowly add the almond milk until the mixture is fully combined.

5. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the hot oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. To check whether the loaf is cooked, insert a knife into the centre of the loaf – if it comes out clean it is done, if still sticky, return to the oven and bake for a further 15 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

6. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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