Date Fruit Cake

Stone enough dates to make 4 cups, keeping them as whole as possible.
Add to the dates, 1 lb of walnut meats in large sized pieces.
In another bowl sift together, three times, 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp of salt and tsp of baking powder.
Mix this together with the date/nut mixture.
Add 1 cup of granulated sugar and mix again.
Separate the whites from the yolks of four eggs.
Beat the whites of 4 eggs  until stiff and dry.
In another bowl beat the yolks until light colored and thick. Mix even the yolks into the cake mixture..
Then lightly fold in the whites of eggs throughout the mixture adding 1 tbspn of vanilla/
Line 2 .brick loaf pans or (we used a cast iron skillet)with buttered brown paper. Add cake mixture.
Bake one hour in moderate oven.
You can also add candied cherries or pineapple ( but we never did).
We made this cake ahead and stored it for a 4 days to a week in cool room. It builds in flavor. But it was /really hard  to resist cutting it and munching.
Slice in long narrow slices.
It was my absolute favorite. Mom made it for Christmas or New Years.