"'It is as if we had a day made to order, Mrs. Dr. Dear,' said Susan complacently, as she feathered an orange-frosted cake with coconut.  'I will try my hand at them new-fangled butterballs after breakfast and I will phone Carter Flagg every half-hour to make sure that he will not forget the ice-cream.'"
-Anne of Ingleside, Chapter 14.

1 Cup butter 
3 Cups white flour 
1-2 Cups sugar 
1 Cup flaked coconut 
4 eggs 
1 Cup chopped walnuts 
1/2 Cup orange juice 
8 ounces chopped dates 
1 teaspoon baking soda 

Grease well and lightly flour two 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl cream butter and gradually beat in sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each. Sift together flour and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in three parts, alternating with the orange juice. Mix nuts, coconut and dates and fold gently into batter. Pour batter into greased pans and bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until golden brown. Mix together 1/2 Cup of orange juice and 1 Cup of powdered sugar and pour over cakes in pans while still hot. Cool in pans on racks. Wrap in aluminum foil when cool and freeze if possible.

Makes 2 loaves

Thanks to ParkCornerPEI for the reference.