Ingredients

• 160g wholemeal, plan flour
• 220g dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 170g dates
• 150g pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (80ml) light olive oil
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Pecans for topping

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
2. Butter a large non-stick loaf tin and line the base with buttered baking paper, dust with flour and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, bicarb soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Whisk until lumps have disappeared.
4. Add in dates, pecans, and carrot and mix until well coated.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla extract until they’re smooth and creamy.
6. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and stir until well combined.
7. Scrape the batter into the tin, smooth it out, and sprinkle with pecans.
8. Bake for 1 hour or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool the loan in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then gently loosen the sides before turning onto the rack to cool completely.

Note: The loaf can be frozen and will keep for a month or so.