Spanish Bar Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Cooling time for water raisin mixture. 2 hours

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 12 or more servings

Calories 346 kcal

Author Barry C. Parsons

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

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Add the water and raisins to a saucepan.  Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the shortening to the boiled mixture. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
4. Sift together the sugar, soda, flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt.

5. Add the sifted ingredients to the cooled raisin mixture, along with the beaten egg and the nuts, if you are adding them.

6. Fold gently until the flour is just incorporated into the batter. Do not over mix.
7. Turn into the prepared pans and Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Cool completely and ice with frosting if you like

To prepare the frosting

1. Beat together the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and a tablespoon of milk until smooth.
2. If necessary, add more milk until the frosting is a good spreadable consistency.

3. Cut the cake in half, frost the first layer then top with the second layer and frost again. To get the characteristic lines on top, run the back of a fork over the top frosting in straight lines.

4. This recipe also makes about a dozen cupcakes if you prefer.

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