🍰 Old-Fashioned Raisin Cake Bars
Old-fashioned raisin cake bars are moist, spiced, and chewy, packed with plump raisins and warm flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg. They’re perfect for snacks, lunchboxes, or afternoon tea.
🥄 Ingredients (Makes 12–16 bars)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Prep raisins:
Place raisins in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let soak 10 minutes, then drain.
2️⃣ Mix wet ingredients:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3️⃣ Combine dry ingredients:
In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4️⃣ Add raisins:
Stir raisins (and nuts, if using) into the dry ingredients.
5️⃣ Combine wet and dry:
Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
6️⃣ Bake:
Pour batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7️⃣ Cool & cut:
Let cool completely, then cut into bars.
🌟 Tips for Perfect Raisin Cake Bars
- Moist bars: Don’t overbake; pull out as soon as a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Even texture: Soak raisins to plump them and prevent drying.
- Spice: Adjust cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.
- Variation: Add orange or lemon zest for a citrusy twist.
I can also provide:
- 🍫 Chocolate-raisin cake bars
- 🥛 Cream cheese–swirled raisin bars
- 🌾 Gluten-free raisin cake bars
- 🥄 Mini bite-sized bar version
Do you want the chocolate-raisin version?
