Date and Banana Mix - Teen can cook

Burundi is a small country in East Africa (almost 11,000 sq mi for a population of less than 10 million) landlocked between Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It has no access to the ocean but is located in the Great Lakes region, which explains why the coastal areas specialty is grilled fish. Outside of those coastal areas, daily meals consist mainly of beans, cassava, maize, sweet potatoes and are rarely accompanied by meat because of its high cost.
In the eastern part of the country, during the rainy season, many insects come out from their hiding. Insects like termites, which become popular food are eaten roasted. For the most adventurous of you, the rainy periods extend from September to November and February to May
None of this really appealed to me and this is Mike who helped me find this cake recipe with dates and bananas that ties very nicely to our weekly theme about the new fruits of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Sesame and pomegranate were already featured in Vera’s and Mike’s recipes this week.

Ingredients (for a 7 x 10 in mold)

- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) + 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 4 bananas
- 9 oz. of dates (about 1.5 cup of chopped dates)
- 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon

Preparation

Beat the softened butter with the sugar, then add the eggs one at a time with the first egg well incorporated before adding the second one. Then add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix well.
Line a pan with parchment paper. I personally used a pastry frame (7 x 10 in) that I put on a plate lined with parchment paper. Spread half of the batter in the pan. Level the surface with your fingertips.
Then add the sliced bananas.
Remove pits from dates, chop coarsely and add to the bananas.
Cover with the remaining half of dough.
Bake for about 30 minutes (until golden brown) in an oven preheated to 350F.
Remove from the oven and brush the top of the cake with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Sprinkle the surface with a mixture of powdered sugar and cinnamon.