Tea-infused apple-date loaf

I hadn't made this recipe for years, but discovered it in an old binder of recipes from when I was a student. I'm not a confident baker of anything but yeast bread, but this recipe is actually pretty hard to mess up. (A very pleasing quality in a cake, if you ask me.)

Soaking the fruit in tea seems eccentric, but it serves a dual purpose of softening it up before baking, and giving the finished loaf a delicate hint of tea flavor. The finished product is spicy and not too sweet. It was the perfect baking project for a fall Saturday morning. I took Baby B and Little Dog B for a short walk outside while it baked, and enjoyed the slight nip in the air and the spectacular orange and red leaves on the trees. When we got home, the house was filled with the delicious scent of the spices. Who needs a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte? (A thing I had never tried until someone bought me one recently. Very kind, but I didn't much like it--I prefer my coffee to taste like coffee, not sugary stuff.)

Ingredients:
2 cups diced apples (around 2 medium; no need to peel them first, unless you prefer them that way)
1 cup dates, chopped coarsely
3/4 cup freshly brewed strong black tea, boiling hot
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 oz unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white flour
1/2 whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray, or grease it with butter. If the pan isn't non-stick, line it with baking paper.

Place the apples and dates in a medium bowl, sprinkle with baking soda, and pour the boiling tea over the top. Stir briefly, and leave to soften while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cream the butter and sugar together with a silicone spatula. Stir in the vanilla and the lightly beaten egg.

Sift in the flours and spices, and pour over the fruit and tea mixture. Mix together until just combined--don't overmix or the cake will be hard. Pour the mixture into the baking pan, and bake for 45 minutes.

Let it cool in the pan before serving. I recommend having it with a cup of rather milky tea. Baby B had hers with milk.