Grandma Renner’s Date Cake

1 cup chopped dated
1 cup sugar
1 T. shortening
1 ¼ cups flour
¼ t. salt
½ cup walnuts
1 cup boiling wather
1 t. soda
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
Cut up dates and put in bowl. Pour boiling water over dates and let set while mixing other ingredients. Cream sugar and shortening, add beaten egg. Add dates and water. Stir in flour, salt and soda that’s been sifted together. Add vanilla. Bake @ 350* till tests done. This is good w/ frosting, sauce or whipped cream.
Grandma Helen Renner