Spanish Bar Cake Recipe: A Moist, Flavorful Classic

This Spanish Bar Cake recipe makes one moist, warmly spiced 9 x 13-inch cake that cuts into approximately 16 classic dessert bars. The cake is made with simmered raisins, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and traditional vegetable shortening, then finished with a smooth cream-cheese frosting.

Each bite has a tender, chewy crumb, softly plumped raisins, and a deep spice flavor that tastes like an old-fashioned grocery-bakery treat. Despite its name, this is not a traditional Spanish dessert; it is the widely circulated A&P-style American Spanish Bar Cake that has been cherished for generations.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Spanish Bar Cake is the kind of dessert that feels instantly familiar, even if you have never baked it before. It is simple, economical, and full of the cinnamon-and-raisin flavor associated with vintage American bakery counters.

The cake is moist without being heavy, and the softened raisins add little pockets of fruity sweetness throughout the crumb. A tangy cream-cheese frosting balances the spices and gives every bar a soft, polished finish.

• Old-fashioned flavor: Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and raisins create a wonderfully nostalgic combination.
• Easy pan-baked format: There is no need to stack layers or decorate individual cupcakes.
• Reliable texture: Simmered raisins and their cooking water keep the cake tender.
• Make-ahead friendly: The frosted cake slices especially well after chilling.

If you enjoy nostalgic American desserts, you may also like this peanut butter cake, another comforting bake with a wonderfully home-style character.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The unusual but essential part of this recipe is the raisin mixture. The raisins simmer in water for about 10 minutes, which softens them and infuses the liquid with fruit flavor. That liquid stays in the batter rather than being drained.

Vegetable shortening is the traditional choice for the cake. It creates the characteristic tender, slightly dense crumb associated with the A&P-style version, although butter may be substituted when preferred.

• Raisins and water form the moist fruit base.
• Vegetable shortening provides the traditional bakery-style texture.
• Granulated sugar sweetens the cake without overpowering the spices.
• One large egg and vanilla help bind and flavor the batter.
• All-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt provide structure.
• Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg create the signature warm spice profile.
• Cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar make the smooth frosting.

Measure the flour by spooning it into a dry measuring cup and leveling the top. Too much flour can make these bars firmer than intended, especially if you choose the traditional 1 3/4-cup amount.

How to Make It Step-by-Step

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Grease and lightly flour the pan, or line it with parchment so the cooled cake can be lifted out easily.

Step 2: Place the raisins and water in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, giving the raisins time to become plump and tender.

Step 3: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vegetable shortening. Leave the raisins and liquid together; draining them would remove both moisture and concentrated raisin flavor.

Step 4: Allow the raisin mixture to cool until it is warm rather than hot. This pause matters because an overly hot mixture can partially cook the egg when it is added later.

Step 5: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Mixing the dry ingredients first distributes the leavening and spices evenly through the finished cake.

Step 6: Stir the granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla into the cooled raisin mixture. Mix until the egg is incorporated and the liquid looks evenly blended, but do not beat it aggressively.

Step 7: Add the dry ingredients to the raisin mixture. Stir just until no obvious streaks of flour remain, since overmixing can create a tougher crumb.

Step 8: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to gently guide the batter into the corners, keeping the surface as level as possible for even baking.

Step 9: Bake for 25–30 minutes, checking near the shorter end of the baking range. The center should be set, and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Step 10: Cool the cake completely before frosting it. For the topping, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth, add the vanilla, and gradually beat in the sifted confectioners’ sugar before spreading it over the cake.

Step 11: Chill the frosted cake if you want especially neat cuts. Slice it into approximately 16 bars, wiping the knife between cuts for tidy edges.

Pro Tips for the Best Texture

The raisin cooking liquid is the secret to the cake’s moist texture, so keep everything from the saucepan. The softened fruit disperses more pleasantly through the batter than dry raisins would, while the infused water adds flavor to every bite.

Pay close attention to temperature before adding the egg. Warm is acceptable, but hot is not; if you can comfortably touch the outside of the saucepan, the mixture is generally ready for the egg.

• Use softened, not melted, cream cheese and butter for a smooth frosting.
• Sift the confectioners’ sugar to reduce lumps in the topping.
• Mix the cake batter only until the flour disappears.
• Begin checking the cake at 25 minutes because pan materials and ovens vary.
• Let the cake cool fully before frosting so the topping does not soften or slide.

For another rich, comforting bake to serve beside coffee, try this classic chocolate pound cake. Its dense chocolate crumb offers a delicious contrast to the lighter spice and fruit notes here.

Frosting, Slicing, and Serving Ideas

The cream-cheese frosting should be smooth, tangy, and spreadable. Add the confectioners’ sugar gradually rather than all at once, which helps prevent a cloud of sugar and makes it easier to judge the final consistency.

These bars are lovely served chilled, but their flavor is fullest when they sit at room temperature briefly before serving. The frosting stays firm enough for clean slices while the crumb becomes soft and fragrant.

Serve the bars with coffee, black tea, or a glass of cold milk. For a dessert table, arrange them beside other nostalgic favorites such as this playful dirt cake for a mix of elegant and family-friendly sweets.

Storage and Make-Ahead Advice

Because the frosting contains cream cheese, refrigerate the frosted cake in a covered container. It is best enjoyed within several days, and chilling also makes the bars easier to cut and transport.

Let individual portions stand at room temperature briefly before eating. Store any unfrosted cake well covered, then frost it closer to serving time if you want the freshest topping.

This recipe is also convenient for gatherings because the cake can be baked, cooled, frosted, and chilled ahead of time. Cut the bars shortly before serving for the cleanest presentation.

Variations to Try

The 1 3/4 cups of flour specified here produces a moist, tender bar with a classic crumb. Some published versions use 2 cups of flour, which creates a slightly firmer texture.

Butter can replace shortening when you want a richer flavor, though the result is somewhat less old-fashioned. A simple powdered-sugar glaze or white icing may also be used instead of cream-cheese frosting.

For more seasonal baking inspiration, serve these bars alongside classic pumpkin pie during an autumn gathering. If you prefer fruit-forward desserts, this lemon blueberry Bundt cake makes another bright option for the same dessert spread.

Spanish Bar Cake Recipe

A moist vintage American bar cake made with simmered raisins and warm spices, covered with classic cream-cheese frosting. This recipe yields approximately 16 bars from one 9 x 13-inch pan.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 minute min

Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Cake

• 1 cup Raisins
• 1 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening
• 1 cup Granulated sugar
• 1 Large egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg

Cream-Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces Cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 cups Confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Method

 

Step-by-Step

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, or line it with parchment.
2. Combine the raisins and water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vegetable shortening. Let the raisin mixture cool until warm rather than hot.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
5. Stir the sugar, egg, and vanilla into the cooled raisin mixture.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the raisin mixture and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
7. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
8. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
9. Cool the cake completely before frosting.
10. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla, gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar, spread the frosting over the cooled cake, and cut into bars.

Notes

Do not drain the raisins or discard the cooking water. Cool the raisin mixture before adding the egg. Vegetable shortening gives the most traditional crumb, while butter creates a richer but less old-fashioned texture. Refrigerate the frosted cake for cleaner slices, then let it stand briefly at room temperature before serving.

Final Thoughts

This Spanish Bar Cake recipe earns its place in a family dessert collection because it delivers generous flavor from everyday ingredients. Simmering the raisins first is the small but important technique that gives the cake its moist crumb, tender fruit, and distinctive bakery-style character.

Use vegetable shortening for the most traditional result, cool the raisin mixture before adding the egg, and resist the urge to overmix once the flour goes in. Finish the cooled cake with cream-cheese frosting, chill it for neat slices, and let each bar warm slightly before serving.

Whether you remember this cake from an old neighborhood bakery or are discovering it for the first time, its cinnamon-spiced flavor and soft frosting make it a dependable dessert for holidays, potlucks, afternoon coffee, and quiet family treats.