No Frost Chocolate Cake

This is my grandmother Cleone's recipe:

1 cup Chopped Dates
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Hot Water
1 cup Shortening or Margarine
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
2 cups Flour
1 tbsp Cocoa
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup walnuts
1 (6 oz) package Chocolate Chips

Cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, flour, cocoa, and salt. Then add dates, baking soda, and hot water and mix well. Mix in 1/2 of chocolate chips into batter. Pour into greased and floured 9 by 12 cake pan. Sprinkle with remain chips and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.