Grandma’s Spanish Bar Cake Recipe with Spiced Applesauce

Grandma’s Spanish Bar Cake with Spiced Applesauce is a moist, dark, old-fashioned applesauce spice cake baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan and finished with creamy cream-cheese frosting. It takes about 15–20 minutes to prepare, bakes at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, and yields approximately 16–24 wonderfully soft bars.

Every bite brings together cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, tender raisins, and mellow applesauce in the nostalgic style of an old A&P bakery cake. The frosting adds a cool, lightly tangy finish, while the spiced applesauce keeps the crumb tender without making it heavy or greasy.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This Spanish Bar Cake has the kind of tender, fragrant crumb that makes an ordinary afternoon feel special. Applesauce supplies moisture, so the cake stays soft while the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg create a deep, bakery-style spice flavor.

The recipe is also wonderfully practical. It is mixed as one simple batter, baked in a single 9 x 13-inch pan, and cut into easy-to-serve bars instead of requiring layers or complicated decorating.

If you enjoy classic family desserts with a buttery crumb, you may also like our classic pound cake for another nostalgic bake.

Ingredients You’ll Need

The cake begins with all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, two large eggs, and half a cup of softened vegetable shortening or unsalted butter. Shortening gives the most traditional A&P-style flavor and texture, while butter contributes a slightly richer dairy note.

Unsweetened applesauce is important because it provides moisture without adding extra sweetness. If you use sweetened applesauce, slightly reduce the granulated sugar so the finished cake does not become overly sweet.

• Warm spices: Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give the cake its signature dark, aromatic flavor.
• Raisins: A full cup adds chewy sweetness and is folded directly into the batter.
• Frosting: Cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar make a smooth, tangy topping.

For the spiced applesauce, stir one cup of unsweetened applesauce with one-half teaspoon cinnamon, one-eighth teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of ground cloves. Prepared unsweetened cinnamon applesauce is also convenient if you are short on time.

How to Make It Step-by-Step

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with grease, adding parchment to the bottom if you like. The parchment makes lifting and slicing the cooled cake especially easy.

Step 2: Make the spiced applesauce by stirring the applesauce with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl. Letting these spices sit together briefly helps distribute their flavor before they go into the batter.

Step 3: Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. This evenly disperses the leavening and spices, preventing pockets of baking soda or strong spice in the finished cake.

Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened shortening or butter with the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed so the mixture becomes even and creamy.

Step 5: Mix the spiced applesauce into the creamed mixture. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until no large streaks of flour remain; overmixing can make the bars less tender.

Step 6: For raisins that stay distributed, toss them with one teaspoon of the flour before adding them. Fold them gently into the batter, then spread the batter evenly across the prepared pan.

Step 7: Bake for 30–35 minutes. The center should spring back lightly when touched, and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out with only a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

Step 8: Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool completely for 45–60 minutes before frosting. To finish, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, mix in the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar, add milk only if necessary, and spread the frosting over the cooled cake.

Pro Tips for a Moist Spice Cake

The most important rule is not to overbake this cake. Applesauce cakes can look slightly soft in the center when they are ready, and the crumb will firm as it cools; waiting for a completely dry toothpick can leave you with a less tender result.

For especially soft, plump raisins, soak them in hot water for 5–10 minutes. Drain them thoroughly and pat them dry before tossing them with flour, since excess water can loosen the batter.

For the most traditional flavor, choose vegetable shortening. If you prefer butter, use unsalted butter softened to room temperature so it creams smoothly with the sugar.

After combining the batter, give the spices a few minutes to rest before baking if your schedule allows. This small pause lets the warm aromas mingle and gives the cake its familiar old-fashioned character.

Making and Using the Cream-Cheese Frosting

Softened cream cheese and butter are the foundation of a smooth frosting. Beat them together first, then add vanilla and sifted confectioners’ sugar gradually to reduce lumps and keep the mixture light.

Add the milk one tablespoon at a time only if the frosting needs loosening. It should be thick enough to hold a soft spread across the cake without sliding down the sides.

For more classic dessert inspiration, compare this frosting style with the creamy topping on our spiced chai cake. The two cakes share a warm spice profile, but this applesauce bar cake has a denser, more homespun crumb.

Spread the frosting only after the cake is completely cool. If the cake is warm, the frosting can soften too much and lose its clean, creamy finish.

Serving, Storage, and Slicing

Cut the cake into 16 large bars or 24 smaller squares, depending on the occasion. A sharp knife creates the neatest edges, especially if you chill the frosted cake briefly before slicing.

Serve the bars cold, cool, or close to room temperature. They pair beautifully with coffee, black tea, or a glass of milk, and the spice flavor becomes even more rounded after resting overnight.

Because the cake has cream-cheese frosting, store it covered in the refrigerator. Let individual bars sit at room temperature for a short time before serving if you prefer a softer frosting and a more tender bite.

For another celebration-worthy family favorite, take a look at this Southern carrot cake recipe. Like this Spanish Bar Cake, it brings warm spices and a creamy topping to the dessert table.

Easy Variations

The traditional recipe is delicious exactly as written, but you can serve it plain if you want the applesauce spice flavor to take center stage. A simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar is another understated option when you do not want a rich frosting.

You can also cut the finished cake into smaller bite-size squares for a cookie tray or potluck. Keep the raisins in the batter for the classic version, since their chewy texture is one of the details that makes Spanish Bar Cake distinctive.

Prepared unsweetened cinnamon applesauce can replace the homemade spiced mixture for convenience. If it contains sugar, remember to slightly reduce the granulated sugar in the cake batter.

Grandma’s Spanish Bar Cake with Spiced Applesauce

A moist, dark applesauce spice cake with raisins, baked as a thin sheet and spread with classic cream-cheese frosting. This old-fashioned bar cake is perfect for afternoon coffee, holiday trays, and family gatherings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 minute min

Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Spiced Applesauce

• 1 cup Unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch Ground cloves

Cake

• 2 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening, softened, or unsalted butter
• 2 eggs Large eggs
• 1 cup Prepared spiced applesauce
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Raisins

Cream-Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces Cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 cups Confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1-2 tablespoons Milk, only if needed

Method

 

Step-by-Step

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment if desired.
2. Stir the unsweetened applesauce with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and pinch of cloves to make the spiced applesauce.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
4. Cream the softened shortening or butter with the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Mix in the spiced applesauce. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until the batter is combined.
6. Toss the raisins with 1 teaspoon of the flour before folding them into the batter. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool the cake completely for 45–60 minutes before frosting. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then beat in the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar; add milk sparingly if needed.

Notes

For especially soft raisins, soak them in hot water for 5–10 minutes, drain thoroughly, and pat dry. Use shortening for the most traditional flavor, and do not overbake because the cake continues to firm as it cools. Store frosted bars covered in the refrigerator.

Final Thoughts

Grandma’s Spanish Bar Cake with Spiced Applesauce is a simple, deeply comforting dessert that earns its place in any family recipe collection. The thin sheet cake bakes evenly, stays moist from the applesauce, and carries just enough raisin sweetness beneath its warm blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Finish it with cream-cheese frosting for the familiar bakery-style bar, or serve it plain for an even more traditional treat. Once cooled and sliced, these tender bars are ready for lunch boxes, coffee breaks, holiday platters, and every moment that calls for a homemade dessert.