Orange Slice Cake

Ingredients

3 ½ cup all-purpose flour

1 pound orange slice candy + ½ cup Imperial granulated sugar plus ¼ cup all purpose flour

2 cups Imperial granulated sugar

1 cup salted butter, softened

8 ounce package chopped dates

2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup sweetened flake coconut

4 large eggs

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Glaze to pour over warm cake after it’s done

1 cup orange juice

2 cups Imperial powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare bundt pan by generously greasing.  NOTE:  Can use loaf pan, mini loaf pans or muffin pans but you will have to adjust cooking time if using mini pans or muffin pans.

Chop orange slice candy into very small pieces.  NOTE: this is time consuming and can be done a day ahead of time.  Add ½ cup cup sugar and ¼ cup flour into bowl.  Using a cutting board or mat, cut each orange slice into half, then in half again, then in strips.  Cut each strip into pieces about the size of a small pea.  Add cut pieces to bowl and toss in sugar/flour mixture.  It also helps to dip your knife into the sugar/flour mixture to make it easier to cut. 

Sift together flour and salt; set aside.  Chop orange slice candy into small pieces (instructions above). 

In large bowl, add chopped dates, coconut, pecans, and chopped orange slice candy.  Add the sugar/flour mixture from the chopped orange slice candy and toss together.  In mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy; add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add baking soda to buttermilk.  Alternate flour/salt with buttermilk, beating well each time.  Remove bowl from mixer and add candy/nut mixture; stir in with a large spoon or spatula until it’s combined with batter.  Spoon into prepared cake pan and smooth batter with spatula to make sure it’s even in cake pan.  Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cake is done.  Do not overbake.

Glaze intstructions

In small bowl, add powdered sugar and orange juice.  Whisk until smooth.  Pour over warm cake about 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven.

Let cake cool for about 10 – 15 minutes and gently remove from pan.  Cool completely and wrap with plastic wrap.