Line and grease a 1 kg (2 lb) loaf tin. Cream the butter or margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Fold in the flour, spice, walnuts and dates.

Add a little milk to make a dropping consistency.

Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 hour. Insert a skewer in the centre of the cake; if it comes out clean the loaf is cooked. Cool slightly before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Stand a loaf tin on greaseproof paper big enough to come up 2.5 cm (1 in) above edges of the tin. Draw round base: cut in from corners.

Line the greased tin, overlapping the cut corners. Grease well.