1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil (or melted butter) together until combined and slightly fluffy—about 2-3 minutes. This step helps create a tender crumb.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, being careful not to overmix. You want just enough to combine everything smoothly.
6. Gently fold in the diced apples and toasted walnuts, spreading them evenly throughout the batter.
7. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake will be golden brown and fragrant.
8. While the cake bakes, prepare the vanilla custard. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until it’s just about to simmer. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.
9. Slowly pour about a third of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
10. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon—about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
11. Let the custard cool slightly, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
12. Once the cake is fully cooled, serve slices with a generous spoonful of vanilla custard on top or alongside. You’ll love the contrast of warm spices and creamy custard.

One of my earliest kitchen memories is rescuing an oversalted chili by balancing flavors carefully—a skill that’s surprisingly useful when working with spiced cakes, too. If you find your cake a little dry or dense, serving it with this custard really brings it back to life.