Pour sugar and brown sugar over the sliced apples in a large bowl and let stand for about ½ hour or longer.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9 x 13” pan
Stir together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to the apples and stir together.
Add the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla to the apple mixture and mix by hand until smooth.
If using optional nuts and/or raisins, gently fold them in now.
Spread the batter into the greased pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
This recipe has been adapted a little from grandma's original. The original recipe had two full cups granulated sugar (no brown sugar) and used oil instead of melted butter.