Apple Spice Cake

This cake is super moist and gets more flavorful as it sits/cools--a perfect make-the-day-ahead-cake (or 2 days or... freeze it!).

~Recipe from Joy of Cooking, 1997 edition

• 1 1/2 c. flour (all white or half white/half whole wheat)
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. cloves
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 2 T. rum or brandy, optional (I didn't use)
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 c. chopped apples (can leave skins on if desired; I didn't)
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8x8-inch pan or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together, making sure to pinch out any lumps from the brown sugar.
3. Add buttermilk or yogurt, oil, brandy, and vanilla; stir until smooth.
4. Stir in apples and nuts, if using.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
7. Serve from pan or invert pan onto cooling rack, peel off paper, and flip back over (this is tricky!).
8. Can ice with basic white frosting but it's delicious plain.

Makes 1 8x8-inch cake (16 servings)