"THE REAL A&P SPANISH BAR CAKE"

By RoketJSquerl

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoons ginger
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups raisins, soaked in warm water until plump and drained
• 3/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from cooks.com

Preparation

Step 1

I tried many online recipes and none really came close to the spiciness of the original A&P variety. After some tweaking and combining of recipes, I think this is the closest thing to it in terms of flavour and texture.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare a 9 x 13 in. baking pan with butter and flour. Plump the raisins in warm water.

In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Add oil, applesauce, sour cream, and eggs. Mix well. Add in raisins and walnuts and stir to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cake cool completely before frosting.

Top with buttercream (more authentic) or cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese softened
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Beat well, adding more milk or confectioners' sugar to make it smooth and easy to spread.

For the Buttercream Frosting:
1 stick butter, room temperature
5 cups confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/4 cup milk

For the buttercream frosting:
Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the confectioner sugar one cup at a time. Add in the vanilla and milk.

Note: If you would like to make the cake like the original Spanish Bar Cake, cut the cake length ways into two halves. Spread the frosting between the layers and on top. Use a fork to make the lines on the top.