Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2               cups  sugar
  1                cup  butter
  4                     eggs
  4               cups  sifted flour
  1 1/2      teaspoons  soda
     1/2      teaspoon  salt
  1 1/2           cups  buttermilk
  2        tablespoons  grated orange rind -- (or 3)
  2               cups  dates chopped and dredged
                        - in small amount of flour
  2               cups  pecans chopped

Preparation:

Cream sugar and butter well. Beat in eggs 1 at a time with mixer until well blended. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Stir in orange peel, dates, and pecans. Pour into large buttered and floured tube pan or 3 medium loaf pans. Bake 325 for 1 1/2 hours or until done. Cake should pull away from side of the pan when done. Before removing cake and while hot, punch a lot of holes in cake. Spoon icing on cake. ICING: 1 C. Orange juice 2 C. Sugar 1/4 C. Grand Marnier 2 Tbs. Grated orange peel Mix before making cake. Stir occasionally.

Nutritional Information:

5271 Calories (kcal); 209g Total Fat; (35% calories from fat); 84g Protein; 773g Carbohydrate; 1258mg Cholesterol; 3560mg Sodium