Spanish Bar Cake was a very simple bar shaped raisin spice cake with an unfussy vanilla frosting. The A&P Spanish Bar cake, originally produced by Jane Parker for A&P grocery stores, was introduced in the 1930s. It gained popularity, especially during the 1940s, and was a staple in A&P's in-house bakery line.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups water
- 1 cups raisins
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, or butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, (optional)
For the Frosting
- 2 1/4 cups icing sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk, more if needed
DIRECTIONS
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Add the water and raisins to a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the shortening to the boiled mixture. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Sift together the sugar, soda, flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt.
- Add the sifted ingredients to the cooled raisin mixture, along with the beaten egg and the nuts, if you are adding them.
- Fold gently until the flour is just incorporated into the batter. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool completely and ice with frosting if you like.
