1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs, add 1 at a time
4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda, add to flour
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. grated orange peel
2 (7 oz.) boxes dates, chopped
2 c. chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, fold in dates and nuts. Bake in a stem pan in a 275 degree oven. It will take almost 1 1/2 hours to bake. When almost done, combine 2 cupfuls sugar and 1 cupful orange juice. As soon as cake is taken from oven, spoon this mixture over cake. It is advisable to run a knife around the edge of pan and if little holes are picked with a toothpick, it will help get the icing down into the cake properly. You will think you will never get it all on, but it will all go; just keep spooning. This cake gets better the older it gets, but it will never get older, it is too good.