Butterless, Eggless, Milkless Spice Cake

This spice cake is based on a recipe from my wife’s family, where it was known as Mrs. Ruby’s Cake. The recipe is unusual in that, as evidenced by the title, it contains no dairy products. This type of dessert was popularized during World War I in part due to food shortages and also because it was very economical. This cake is composed of ingredients almost always in stock in the pantry, and at the same time it finds a use for leftovers—in this case, coffee. The batter can