banana birthday cake

Banana birthday cake
This used double the quantity of my usual banana cake, (made in a loaf tin), and a heart-shaped tin approximately 10" wide. I had to adapt the recipe to what was available in the cupboard, and used less bananas, as I usually weigh them after peeling and I don't think you are meant to do that. So, whereas I usually use 5 or 6 bananas for a banana loaf, I only used 6 for this, which weighed nearly 2 lb with the skin on, as this was all I had that were overripe.

at least 6 ripe or overripe (black) bananas (2 lb with skins on); more bananas can be used for a moister cake.
4 oz dates
4 oz sultanas
2 oz walnut pieces
2 oz sunflower seeds
4 oz oats
10 oz plain flour
200 ml of sunflower oil (this is approx 8 fl oz but my pint jug is broken so have to use plastic metric ones now)

for decoration:
Soft margarine or butter
Golden Icing sugar
Walnut halves
Glace cherries- natural colour

Mash bananas and mix in rest of ingredients
Spoon into a tin lined with non-stick baking parchment
Bake for 50 mins- 1 hour at 175C in a fan oven, otherwise 190C or gas mark 5
Leave in tin till cool enough not to disintigrate when lifting out
Decorate with icing made from a large spoonful of margarine and some golden icing sugar, using the back of a fork to even out and create a pattern.
Add walnut halves and glace cherries round the edge.