Orange Date-Nut Cake - cooking recipe

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

Preparation

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.
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.
Bake at 350F for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comed out clean.
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.