Spanish Bar Cake

Old Fashioned A&P Spanish Bar spice cake recipe – This came out very dry but was very good in taste.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup raisins, soaked in warm water until plumped, then drained

Buttercream frosting
1 pound confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons evaporated milk, more if needed for consistency of frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan

Soak raisins in hot water until plump and then drain.

Place flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, spices and whisk together to combine. Sift dry ingredients three times and set aside.

Place shortening and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream the shortening and sugar together. Add molasses and eggs and mix just enough to incorporate into the mixture, Add milk and applesauce. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture in three additions, stirring after each addition to combine. Fold in the plumped raisins.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Batter will be thick and will need to be spread evenly in the pan.

Bake at 350 degree fro 30 to 35 minutes or until done.

Remove cake from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Cut cake in half and stack with frosting in between and on top leaving sides with no frosting. Use the tines of a fork to make a design layer on the top just like the original A&P Spanish Bar Cake had.

Source: https://www.tasteofsourthern.com/Spanish-bar-cake

Made October 2019 – was very dry but tasted good. Did not sift dry ingredients and did not cream wet items separately.  Will have to try again. Impression – needed more applesuce for more making it more moist.