Preheat & Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease a 9×13-inch (or 8×8-inch) baking pan with butter or nonstick spray, then line it with parchment paper or lightly dust with flour.

Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), and ground cloves (if using) until evenly combined.

Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the applesauce, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and uniform.

Mix Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir with a spatula or wooden spoon, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain—avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.

Fold in Add-Ins: Fold in the chopped nuts and your choice of raisins or dried cranberries, if using, until they’re evenly distributed.

Transfer to Pan: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top in an even layer.

Bake: Place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Cool: Remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack. Let it cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then lift the cake out by the parchment paper and allow it to cool completely on the rack before slicing.

Slice & Serve: Once cooled, slice into 8 even pieces. Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or alongside whipped cream or ice cream as desired.

Store: If not serving immediately, wrap slices individually in plastic wrap or store the whole cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.