Spanish Cake

2 cups water

1 cups raisins

1/2 cup unsalted 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 

FOR THE FROSTING

2 1/4 cups powered 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. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

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.

This Spanish Bar Cake is a simple raisin spice cake that is moist and so very delicious. It's a great addition to my "best tasting" cake list! 

I made this cake for my mom's birthday and it came out great! :)

~Carol~