Spanish Bar Cake

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp natural cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plump raisins

FOR THE ICING

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

• Heat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch pan. Get out a big mixing bowl.
• Put the dry ingredients in the bowl first, and stir well to mix them. Add the oil, applesauce, and eggs; beat until well combined. Add the raisins last, and stir them to distribute them evenly.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350˚ 35-40 minutes. A toothpick inserted toward the center of the cake should come out without any crumbs.
• Let the cake cool on a rack.

FOR THE ICING

• The cake must be completely cool before you put icing on it (buttercream will melt on a warm cake!) A quick check: if you can rest the cake pan on your open palm and it doesn’t feel warm, the cake is cool enough.
• Mash the butter, add powdered sugar (if you’re feeling fancy sift the sugar first). Add vanilla extract, beat again. We prefer a thin glaze, rather than a thick coat of frosting. If you like a fluffier thicker frosting, double the amount.