Spanish Bar Cake is a moist, lightly spiced raisin cake made by simmering raisins in water before mixing the batter. Bake it in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, cool it completely, then finish it with a simple buttercream-style cream-cheese frosting for a classic dessert bar.
Despite its name, this is an old-fashioned American A&P-style cake rather than a traditional Spanish dessert. Each bite is soft, fragrant, and pleasantly nostalgic, with plump raisins, cinnamon, cloves, and a creamy frosting that turns a humble pantry cake into something truly special.
Jump to RecipeWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
Spanish Bar Cake has the kind of flavor that feels familiar from the very first bite. The crumb is soft but sturdy, the raisins are juicy rather than chewy, and the gentle combination of cinnamon and cloves gives the cake a warm bakery aroma.
It is also a practical dessert. The batter comes together in one main mixing bowl after the raisin mixture is prepared, and the rectangular pan makes it easy to portion into generous bars for a family dessert, bake sale, afternoon coffee, or holiday cookie tray.
The frosting adds a cool, creamy contrast to the warmly spiced cake. If you enjoy nostalgic fruit-forward bakes, you may also like our favorite banana cake for another wonderfully tender dessert.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredient list is simple, which is part of the recipe’s lasting appeal. Raisins, water, butter or shortening, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt create a cake with remarkable depth for such everyday ingredients.
- Raisins: One cup provides sweetness, fruitiness, and moisture throughout the cake.
- Butter or shortening: Either works in the cake. Butter contributes a rich dairy flavor, while shortening gives a particularly tender crumb.
- Spices: Cinnamon supplies the familiar warmth, while cloves add a deeper aromatic note. Use the measured amount of cloves because their flavor is powerful.
- Frosting ingredients: Softened butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and a little milk create a spreadable finish.
Chopped walnuts or pecans are sometimes included in vintage variations, but the plain cake is the most commonly reproduced A&P-style formula. Keeping it nut-free also lets the raisin and spice flavors remain the focus.
How to Make It Step-by-Step
Step 1: Begin by greasing a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and heating the oven to 350°F (175°C). Greasing the pan thoroughly helps the edges release cleanly and ensures that every bar can be served without sticking.
Step 2: Place the raisins and water in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the raisins look plump and softened.
Step 3: Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately stir in the butter or shortening. The heat from the raisin mixture should melt the fat, so keep stirring until it is fully incorporated.
Step 4: Let the raisin mixture cool until it is warm rather than hot. This pause matters because adding eggs to a very hot liquid can partially cook them and lead to a dense or uneven batter.
Step 5: Beat the granulated sugar and eggs into the warm raisin mixture. Mix until the eggs are fully incorporated and the liquid looks cohesive, but there is no need to whip it extensively.
Step 6: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Distributing the baking soda and spices through the flour helps prevent concentrated pockets in the finished cake.
Step 7: Add the dry ingredients to the raisin mixture and stir just until no obvious streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing, since too much stirring can make the cake less tender.
Step 8: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to reach the corners and smooth the surface so the cake bakes at an even thickness.
Step 9: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake is ready when the center springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Step 10: Cool the cake completely before frosting, allowing at least 30 minutes. A warm cake can soften the frosting and make it slide, so patience produces a neater finish.
Step 11: To make the frosting, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk as needed until the texture is creamy and easy to spread.
Step 12: Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, making a smooth or softly swirled surface. Cut into bars with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for the cleanest edges.
Pro Tips for a Moist, Tender Cake
The most important technique is simmering the raisins rather than simply folding them into the batter. This plumps the fruit, softens its texture, and infuses the surrounding liquid with raisin flavor that carries through the entire cake.
Do not rush the cooling stage before adding the eggs. The raisin mixture should feel warm, not hot, when you touch the outside of the saucepan or test a small amount carefully.
For a bakery-style appearance, frost the cake only after it has cooled fully. If convenient, refrigerate the frosted cake briefly before slicing; the chilled frosting gives the knife a cleaner path through each bar.
Choose butter when you want a richer, more pronounced flavor. Choose vegetable shortening when you prefer an especially soft crumb and a more traditionally vintage texture.
Frosting and Serving Ideas
The cream-cheese frosting in this recipe is lightly sweet and tangy enough to balance the raisin cake. Start with 1 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar for a softer, less sweet topping, then add more if you prefer a firmer or sweeter frosting.
Serve the bars at cool room temperature with coffee, tea, or a glass of milk. The cake is substantial enough for a lunchbox treat but polished enough to place on a dessert table beside more elaborate bakes.
For another fruit-filled cake with a lovely homemade character, take a look at this classic apple cake. It makes a wonderful companion dessert when you want to offer more than one flavor.
Storage and Make-Ahead Advice
Because the frosting contains cream cheese, store frosted Spanish Bar Cake in the refrigerator. Cover the pan or transfer the bars to an airtight container to protect the soft crumb from drying out and to prevent the cake from absorbing other refrigerator odors.
Let refrigerated bars sit briefly at room temperature before serving so the frosting becomes creamy again. For clean slices, keep the cake chilled while cutting, then arrange the bars on a serving platter.
The unfrosted cake can also be cooled, covered, and held until you are ready to finish it. Frosting shortly before serving gives the surface its freshest appearance, while a brief chill after frosting helps the topping set.
More Retro-Inspired Desserts to Try
Spanish Bar Cake belongs to a wonderful tradition of unfussy desserts that rely on careful technique rather than complicated decoration. If you are planning a dessert spread, our rhubarb poke cake brings bright fruit flavor and a playful presentation.
For a creamy option, consider this New York-style cheesecake with raspberry sauce. Chocolate lovers can round out the menu with this rich chocolate cake, creating a dessert table with fruit, spice, cream, and chocolate.
Spanish Bar Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Combine the raisins and water in a saucepan. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the raisins are plump and the water is richly flavored.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter or shortening while the raisin mixture is hot. Let it cool until warm rather than hot.
- Beat the sugar and eggs into the warm raisin mixture until evenly blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the raisin mixture and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake completely in the pan for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
- Beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, thinning with milk as needed, then spread the frosting over the cooled cake and cut into bars.
Notes
Final Thoughts
Spanish Bar Cake is proof that a modest ingredient list can produce an unforgettable dessert. Simmered raisins give it moisture and character, cinnamon and cloves provide a gentle old-fashioned fragrance, and the creamy frosting makes every bar feel finished and celebratory.
Follow the cooling instructions, avoid overmixing, and give the cake time to set before slicing. Once you taste the tender crumb and juicy raisins together, you may understand why this once-popular bakery classic deserves a regular place in the modern home kitchen.