Via: JSF0864/Flickr As the company continued to see losses, they instituted new store concepts like this unique black-and-white 80s modern Futurestore prototyped in 1984 in Allendale NJ and then created and opened in Baton Rouge, LA. This type was successful, but was eventually retired in just a few years.
Yet there’s something nostalgic about this store, especially if you ask anyone who shopped there. You’d find people reminiscing and thinking of Jane Parker desserts. As one of A&P’s in-house bakery brands, Jane Parker was known for cupcakes, cookies, fruitcakes, and snack cakes, one of which was the Spanish Bar. A&P’s Spanish Bar came into popularity, especially during the 1940s. This cake used very few eggs and relied on affordable dried spices to add flavor to the cake. Raisins were the original mix-in, but as the years went by and the cake’s popularity progressed, chopped walnuts got added to the batter as well.
Here, this A&P Spanish Bar is similar to the original version, which simply added spices and raisins. This sweet treat is a double-decker cake held together by a smooth and velvety cream cheese frosting.
To start, boil water and soak the raisins for ten minutes. This step plumps the raisins up and ultimately injects good moisture into the cake. As the raisins cool, you go ahead and mix up the dry ingredients.
Add the raisins, oil, and egg to the batter. At first, it’ll look lumpy, but trust the process and keep stirring, it’ll form a smooth mixture.
Pour into a parchment lined greased 8×8 pan and bake until the cake is golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist, not wet, crumbs.
The frosting is a simple but classic combination of cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and the tiniest pinch of salt.
Once the cake is cooled, lift it out of the tray and carefully slice it in half. Place one cake layer on a tray, spread some frosting on top, and then top it with the second layer and the remaining frosting.
