Aunt Marilyn's Date Cake with Broiled Icing

Ingr:
1 up boiling water
1/4 lb (1 cup) chopped dates
1 tsp soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Icing:
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 cup coconut
chopped nuts (opt)
our boiling water over dates an soda. Let stand while mixing batter-- cream sugarand butter. Add eggand beat again. Add flour and salt -- alternating with  dates and soda mix. Add vanilla -- pour into greased and floured 9 x 12 inch pan. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Immediately after cake is taken out of oven, spread icing evenly over cake. Set oven on broiland lightly brown icing -- watching carefully. 
Serve -- do not remove from pan as this is a very moist cake.