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1
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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2
Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
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3
Put the dates in a bowl and cover them with hot water.
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4
Let them soak for 1 hour.
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5
In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and eggs.
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6
Sift the 2 cups flour, the baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl.
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7
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture alternately with milk, adding a third of each at a time and mixing thoroughly before adding the next.
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8
Drain the dates and stir them in with the orange zest and nuts.
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9
Pour the batter into the prepared casserole dish.
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10
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
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11
Meanwhile, whisk together the confectioners sugar and orange juice, making sure to break up any lumps.
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12
The consistency should be such that it can be easily drizzled or poured over the cake.
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13
If its too thick, thin it with a little more orange juice; if its too thin, add more confectioners sugar, a teaspoon at a time, making sure to mix thoroughly before adding more.
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14
Drizzle the orange glaze over the cake while it is still warm.
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15
Cut into squares and serve while warm.
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16
Store leftover pieces in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
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17
There were many funny stories that came out of these visits at Granny Haleys, but this one takes the cakeliterally!
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18
Sandys Uncle Dale and his friend Kiefer were cooks in the army.
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19
One day, they discovered that their kitchen was being raided every night by hungry soldiers with a sweet tooth.
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20
To teach the thieves a lesson, Kiefer made a special cake full of shrimp shells.
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21
But in an unexpected turn of events, some high-ranked officers stopped by for a special meeting and the cakes meant for the thieves got served to the VIPs.
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22
Kiefer and Dale just knew they were going to be discharged, but not one word was ever mentioned.
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23
Maybe the officers were simply used to eating bad mess-hall food.
