Orange Date-Nut Cake

What a tasty cake - I love the citrus flavors in a cake, and orange is my favorite, so delicious -

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Yields: 1 9x13 cake

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter or 1  cup margarine, softened
• 4  cups sugar, divided
• 4  large eggs
• 4  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄2 cups buttermilk
• 1 (8 ounce) package  sugared dates, chopped
• 1  cup pecans, toasted, chopped
• 4  teaspoons  orange rind, grated, divided
• 1  cup  orange juice

Directions

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
2. Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat a low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in dates, pecans and 2 tablespoons orange rind. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.
3. Bake at 350F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comed out clean.
4. Bring orange juice, remaining sugar and remaining rind to a boil in a saucepan; cool 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Gently, run a knife around edge of the cake; punch holes in the cake with a wooden pick. Drizzle glaze over warm cake. Let cool in pan on a wire rack.