Spanish Bar Sheet Cake

This traditional Spanish Bar Sheet Cake will take you right back to being a kid again. Every taste of this homemade cake recipe is filled with spicy goodness.

Spanish bar cake is utterly amazing and will leave you wanting more.

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Spanish Bar Sheet Cake

Many of you have probably read the words “Spanish Bar Sheet Cake” and got a little bit excited and nostalgic! I grew up eating this amazing Spanish bar cake, and it’s one of my favorite memories as kiddo. While this isn’t the exact same traditional Spanish bar cake I grew up devouring, it’s very, very close.

I do need to warn you if you’ve never made a Spanish bar cake before, the aroma of it baking is INSANE! Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cake will capture the attention of your nose, and pretty soon, you are salivating at the idea of biting into it.

This is one of those cakes that is actually a hit for pretty much any reason you can think of. Birthday parties, anniversary dinners, game night with the family, or any other reason you can think of! Don’t forget this Spanish cake for potlucks and barbecues too.

What Is A Spanish Bar Cake

A Spanish bar cake is a delicious dessert that is made with raisins, lots of spices, and has frosting. We used caramel sauce for our Spanish cake, but many recipes have a cream cheese-based frosting.

Back in the day, there was a grocery store called A&P, and it developed this famous cake. That’s where the idea came for the Spanish cake. The original recipe did have walnuts in it, and you can certainly add some to your homemade Spanish cake.

Another option would be to add pecans to the cake too. Both are yummy options that enhance the texture and flavor.

Tips For Success When Making This Cake 

This no-fuss recipe for a traditional Spanish bar cake is overall pretty simple. I wanted to point out a few things that might make your experience even better and more delicious.

• You should always preheat the oven before baking the cake. If you put the cake in the oven too soon, it will not cook properly and may end up dried out.
• Boiling the raisins in the saucepan really helps pull that flavor of the raisins out and will make your cake so flavorful.
• Be sure to sift the flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt. This is an important step to ensure that it’s fluffy and scrumptious.
• It’s also very vital that you don’t overmix the batter. If you do, the cake is going to be dry and dense and not the amazing goodness it’s intended to be.

Storing Cake Properly 

You can store the leftover cake in an airtight container. It will last up to five days and can be kept at room temperature or be placed in the fridge. Both are attractive options and taste HEAVENLY! It’s so nice to have this cake around on hand for last-minute dinner guests or when you need a late-night snack. 

Does this Cake Freeze Well 

Oh yes, you can completely freeze this homemade Spanish bar cake. You can either cut the cake up and store each piece individually or leave the entire cake intact and freeze it that way. Both work fine. You will need to wrap the cake in a piece of plastic wrap or tin foil. Then after that, put each wrapped piece of cake inside of a larger freezer container or even a freezer bag. The cake will last in the freezer for two or three months.

Ingredients

All you will need is thirteen easy ingredients to whip up this cake. It’s actually super easy and leaves an impression on anyone who eats it. 

• 2 C water
• 1 C raisins
• 1/2 C vegetable shortening, or butter
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1 TSP baking soda
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 TSP ground cloves
• 1/2 TSP ground cinnamon
• 1/2 TSP ground nutmeg
• 1/2 TSP ground allspice
• 1/2 TSP salt
• One large egg, beaten
• Caramel sauce to drizzle on top

How to Make Traditional Spanish Bar Cake

Okay, now we are getting to the good stuff so we can tell you exactly what you need to do to make this cake. Let’s get started. 

Enjoy!

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

Spanish Bar Sheet Cake

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Spanish Bar Cake is a warm spiced cake that is rich, flavorful and loaded with flavor. Give this traditional Spanish bar cake a try!

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Ingredients 

• 2 C water
• 1 C raisins
• 1/2 C vegetable shortening, or butter
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1 TSP baking soda
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 TSP ground cloves
• 1/2 TSP ground cinnamon
• 1/2 TSP ground nutmeg
• 1/2 TSP ground allspice
• 1/2 TSP salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Caramel sauce to drizzle on top

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Instructions

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees, and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
• Add the water and raisins to a saucepan.
• Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes. You will want to stir the raisins occasionally.
• Add the shortening to the boiled mixture. Then allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
• Sift together the sugar, soda, flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
• Add the sifted ingredients to the cooled raisin mixture, along with the beaten egg.
• Fold gently until the flour is just incorporated into the batter. (Careful not to over mix!)
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Set aside to allow the Spanish bar cake to cool completely.
• Top with a caramel drizzle.
• Cut, serve, and enjoy your homemade Spanish bar cake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 185mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g

Author: Laura

Let’s talk about a few more amazing cake recipes that I think you are going to want to taste soon. These are all lovely cakes that are so tasty. 

Strawberry Pound Cake – Fruity cakes are the way to my heart. This strawberry pound cake is refreshing and delightful.

Chocolate Earthquake Cake – If you want to rock your world, make this decadent and amazing chocolate earthquake cake. It’s so irresistible.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake – Another favorite of ours is this homemade lemon poppy seed cake. It’s light and delicious and wonderful for parties and events.

Easy Cherry Garcia Cake – We love to make this cake and take it to potlucks because everyone goes wild for the flavors of cherries and chocolate.