• 1 cup chopped dates

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 1 cup margarine or butter

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 eggs, separated

• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 2 tbsp. grated orange peel

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 cup fresh orange juice

• 2 tbsp. grated orange peel

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.

2. Dredge nuts and dates in a small amount of flour.

3. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks.

4. Combine buttermilk and baking soda. Add flour to butter mixture in portions, alternating with portions of buttermilk mixture.

5. Fold in dates, pecans and orange peel.

6. Beat egg whites until still and fold into mixture.

7. Place in a large greased angel food cake pan and bake for 1-1/2 hours.

1. Prepare before starting cake.

2. Mix together all ingredients. Stir occasionally while preparing cake so sugar will dissolve.

3. After cake is removed from oven and still warm, puncture with an ice pic and pour topping in holes.

4. Let stand in pan until topping soaks in and cools. Turn out onto wax paper and turn top side up.