I got this recipe from my mother, to whom it's generally attributed, though she claims to have learned it from a neighbor many years ago.
| 2 2/3 cups sugar | 3 1/3 cups flour |
| 2/3 cup oil | 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder |
| 4 eggs | 1 1/2 teaspoons salt |
| 1 can (1 pound) pumpkin (1 2/3 cups) | 2 teaspoons baking soda |
| 1 teaspoon cinnamon | 2/3 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) |
| 1/2 teaspoon cloves | 2/3 cup chopped dates |
| 2/3 cup water |
Cream sugar & oil until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, pumpkin, and water. Mix dry ingredients together and gradually add to pumpkin mixture. Put into 2 well-greased 9x5x3 loaf pans, or some approximation thereof. Bake at 350°F about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Serves somewhere between 1 and 20, depending.
Freezes very well.