Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps and the ingredients are well combined.
Step 3: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth and well incorporated.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few streaks of flour are acceptable.
Step 5: Gently fold in the grated apples until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. If adding nuts, fold them in at this stage as well.
Step 6: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
Step 7: Once baked, remove the loaf pan from the oven and let the apple bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
Step 8: Using the parchment paper overhang, carefully lift the apple bread out of the pan and transfer it to the wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. This ensures it sets properly.