Ann Page, If I recall.... could have been Atlantic & Pacific

was a grocery store in the east years ago, its lost like Colonial stores, IGA( still some of those) and many more that were some good stores.

AAhhhh thank you tmw and Psychomomquilter!

I remember another spice cake that we used to get that sounds like this same recipe. It was from the bakery section and was about the size of a loaf of bread and had 3 layers. I LOVED that cake. I will make these - they sound like it.

I have a scratch recipe for the Spanish Bar Cake that included one tablespoon of cocoa. This gives the cake a distinctive dark coloring, yet does not give it a chocolate taste.I love cream cheese on cakes; however the original had a traditional buttercream icing. I played with a white Crisco icing with marshmallow cream., and it was excellent. Guess I will have to make one for my husband today as we both have sweet memories of the ols A and P and this cake.

i remeber them just dont remeber the nuts will give recipe a try thanks for sharing

Oh my i could just hug your neck my most favorite cake Thanks,Thanks ever so much for the recipe our bread deliverly man came each wk and we always got one sometimes two.....Thanks again(:)

Can you post this recipe?

The recipe is posted in the first thread.

No, the recipe for the one from scratch.

Oh. Sorry. Someone else will have to help you there.

This is how I remember this cake too. I have looked for the answer but may be missing it. Do you cut the cake in strips and stack them?

This is how I remember this cake too. I have looked for the answer but may be missing it. Do you cut the cake in strips and stack them?

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/msg011
This is the link to the scratch recipe that was requested. I make icings with no recipe. I made a buttercream icing with white crisco and added marshmallow cream, and vanilla flavoring. It's your cake; cut it and stack it in a brick shape with two layers, or even make cupcakes.

Nickles bakery in Ohio still makes a Spanish Bar cake.

Oh I hate you! I have a Nickles about 3 miles from me but I've never been in there because I don't eat bread etc anymore. Maybe I'll go in there just once and buy one of the cakes, just for investigative information, you understand. One cake won't hurt me, right?

I wasn't able to acess the recipe from this site.

Won't hurt you, but who's to say what will happen to your wt loss? LOL

So I'll add a pound back on...it'd be worth it if that cake is as good as I remember. I've gone to the Nickles website and searched their products. It's not listed. Either they call it something else or maybe they only sell it, not make it.

Saw that cake in a Riesbecks....Pic n save grocery. Was called Spanish Bar Cake.
Congrats on your wt loss....I need to get in gear & do the same.

I found the same recipe and was going to post it but you beat me to it! It sure does sound authentic, doesn't it? I'm sure the spoonful of cocoa will give it the dark color and the oil and applesauce will make it nice and moist. I would cut the cake lengthwise to make 2 layers with icing between and on top (not the sides) and rake the top with a fork (or a pastry bag with a wide flat tip that makes (raked) lines.

But there is another recipe which is repeated on many websites in which 2 cups of raisins are cooked for 10 minutes in 4 cups of water and then drained and cooled, and the recipe calls for shortening or a combination of shortening and butter, and 4 cups of flour instead of 2 (and spices, soda, etc) and put in the same sized pan! Seems to me the resulting cake would be twice as thick as the gardenweb.com variation and now I'm as confused as ever!

oh! yes! i remember....i would never eat it as a kid though cuz of the raisins......but now that im the mom - i dont need to put them in ! ha!
will be making this for sure.......thanks :)

kim