1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tbsp. grated orange rind
1 c. chopped pecans
1 (8 oz.) pkg. dates, chopped

Cream together sugar and butter. Beat eggs and add to butter and sugar. Beat together. Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Add orange rind, dates, and pecans. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until it tests done. When cake is done and before removing from pan, while still hot, punch many holes in cake all the way to the bottom with ice pick or skewer.

GLAZE:

1 c. orange juice
2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. grated orange rind

Dissolve sugar and orange juice in small saucepan over fire. Do not boil. Add orange rind. Pour hot glaze over cake. Let glaze drip into holes in cake. If cake has not pulled way from sides and tube of pan, loosen with a knife, so that some of the glaze runs down sides and center of cake.