Banana Date Ring

4 cups sifted regular flour
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup finely-chopped walnuts
2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1 cup chopped pitted dates
Confectioners sugar

Oven: 350 degrees

Grease a 12-cup tube pan or 10-inch angel cake pan. Dust lightly with flour, then tap out the excess. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, spice, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the walnuts.

Beat eggs well in a medium-size bowl. Stir in the milk, melted butter, bananas and dates. Add all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until just evenly moist. Spoon into pan and even out the top.

Bake one hour and ten minutes, or until cake tester inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack ten minutes. Loosen around edge and center with a sharp knife. Turn out on rack and cool completely.

Wrap loaf in waxed paper, foil, or plastic wrap. Store overnight to mellow flavors and make slicing easier. Just before serving, dust lightly with confectioners sugar. Cut in thin wedges.