Heat the oven to 400° F.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a fork. Mix until well combined.
Add the diced butter to the dry mixture. Working quickly, cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender. Cut until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal with pea-size pieces of butter. If you do not have a pastry blender, you can use two butter knives or your hands. If using your hands, break the pieces of butter up in your fingers and then pick up some butter and flour and rub it together in the palms of your hands.
Add the date pieces to the bowl and mix gently to combine. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
Add the heavy cream and the orange zest into the well in the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until the ingredients are just moistened.
Gently knead the dough in the bowl, 6 to 8 times, using your hand or a plastic scraper. The goal is to evenly distribute the moisture from the cream and to bring the dough together. By the end of kneading, there should be no loose flour remaining in the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, divide into two pieces of equal size, and gently shape into round balls.
Lightly sprinkle the work surface, as well as the tops of the dough, with flour. Place the balls of dough on the flour and pat or roll out the dough into disks that are 1/2-inch thick and approximately 7 inches in diameter.
Using a bench knife or a chef’s knife, cut each circle into 6 triangular wedges. Place the scones on two parchment-lined baking sheets with at least 2 inches between them. Rotate baking sheets midway through baking, both from top to bottom and front to back.
Bake the scones for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops and bottoms are golden brown.