Optional garnish: lightly sweetened whipped cream and additional candy slices
Instructions
Preheat oven to 275-f degrees. Set the rack one notch above the center setting. Have a baking sheet ready to place underneath your baking pan. It makes it easier to remove from the oven as well as acting as a guard if anything should overflow from the pan. Prepare the parchment liners for your Bundt pan (see notes)
Using a large stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add in the flour, baking soda and buttermilk, alternating between dry and wet ingredients, about half at a time until complete. Switch to using a large wooden stirring spoon for the final few additions.
Add candy pieces, pecans, coconut, and dates. Mix well.
Spoon the batter into the pan that has been parchment lined and sprayed with cooking spray. Be sure to press down on the batter a bit to avoid having large air pockets. Give it a rap on the counter once done. Place on top of the baking sheet. Add a piece of aluminum foil to lay across top of the pan (this will be removed after one hour of baking.)
Bake at 275-f degrees for 2 hours, or until a cake tester comes out clean. For me this took more like 2 3/4 hours, but ovens and altitudes vary. Be sure to remove that aluminum foil after the first hour. It is to prevent over browning. If at any point your cake looks to be getting too browned on top, simply add it back.
While the cake is finished baking but still hot, prepare the orange glaze in a mixing bowl with a whisk to remove any powdered sugar clumps. Mix very well until smooth. Spoon over the cake, getting every area well coated. Allow the cake to cool overnight on the counter, preferably uncovered.
When ready to remove from pan, take a narrow thin spatula or knife and gently go around all the edges to release the cake from the pan. Invert it onto a plate, then invert that onto a cake plate. Cut the serving slices thinly as it is very sweet and rich. If desired, served with freshly whipped cream and an extra piece of candy as garnish.
Notes
It is important to line the entire pan with parchment. For this reason, I used a very basic, flat bottomed and sided Bundt pan. The reason for this is that any candy that touches the pan can end up sticking. I made a template on a large piece of parchment and cut it to fit my pan. I lined the sides and the tube that runs through the middle of the cake. You also need to spray the pan very well with baking spray after you line your pan. This whole pan preparation process is a bit of a hassle but it is worth it when the cake comes out beautifully and nothing sticks. You should let the cake cool completely, overnight is best, before attempting to remove it from the pan, otherwise it can break apart. Glaze it while it is hot (still in the pan) and then let it sit on the counter, preferably uncovered, overnight to cool.High altitude adjustments for this cake. I added 1/4 cup extra flour to the recipe below and decreased the baking soda to 3/4 teaspoon instead of 1 teaspoon. If you also bake at a high altitude I recommend doing the same.Recipe adapted from Betty's Kitchen as well as lots and lots of other places online. It is popular!