Tomato Soup Cake

Sliced tomato soup cake with raisins, nuts, and  cream cheese frosting

---

City/Region: United States of America

Time Period: 1934

---

Tomato soup cake, while not invented during the Great Depression, was certainly popular in the 1930s as it required no eggs or milk, and is exceptionally delicious. Sometimes called Soup to Nuts Cake, Believe It or Not Cake, or Mystery Cake (mystery cakes being a whole genre of cakes that were popular at the time that used unusual hidden ingredients), tomato soup cake was published in many newspapers and cookbooks throughout the 20th century, and for good reason: it’s good cake.

If I were to make this cake again without adhering strictly to the historical recipe, I’d use softened butter and cream it and the sugar together before combining it with the tomato soup, but even as written, the cake isn’t too dense or stodgy at all. It’s moist with a flavor that reminds me of carrot cake with the raisins, walnuts, spices, and cream cheese frosting. It’s really easy to make, and you should go make it now.

“Tomato Soup Cake
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c butter
Pinch of salt
2 t baking powder
1/2 t cloves
1 t nutmeg
2 c sifted flour
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1 c raisins, nut-meats or combination
1/2 t vanilla
Add melted butter to soup and combine with the sugar. Sift the spices, soda, salt and baking powder with the flour and add to the first mixture, then add raisins or nutmeats and vanilla. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees F. for 45 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on the shape of the pan.

Cream Cheese Icing
1/2 c confectioner’s sugar
1 pkg. Cream cheese
1/2 t vanilla
Cream cheese, add sugar gradually and then vanilla. Spread on Tomato Soup Cake after it has cooled.”

— Detroit Free Press, June 2, 1934

---

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 10.75 oz (305 g) can condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, melted or softened*
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• 2 cups (225 g) cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup (65 g) raisins**
• 1/2 cup (50 g) chopped nuts**, I used walnuts

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) confectioner’s sugar
• 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

*See Notes below.

**You can use a full cup of raisins or walnuts instead of 1/2 cup of each.

Instructions:

1. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease a loaf pan, square cake pan, or round cake pan, whatever you prefer. I used an 8 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch (22x24 cm) loaf pan. For a lighter cake, follow the instructions in the Notes below. To follow the historical recipe as it was written (which is still delicious and is not too dense), read on here. In a large bowl, stir together the tomato soup and melted butter until completely combined. Stir in the sugar until combined.
2. If you’re using raisins, take a tablespoon or two of the flour and toss the raisins in it. This will help prevent them from sinking in the cake. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk to fully combine them.
4. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet and fold them together. You want to work quickly to get the cake into the oven because the baking soda will immediately begin to react to the acid in the tomato soup. When the wet and dry ingredients are mostly mixed together, stir in the vanilla, then stir in the raisins and/or walnuts until evenly dispersed.
5. Pour the batter into the greased pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you're using a square or round cake pan, start checking the cake at about 30 minutes. Let it cool completely before you frost it.
6. For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Mixing on low speed, add the confectioner’s sugar a few tablespoons at a time. When all of the sugar is fully incorporated, beat in the vanilla.
7. Spread the frosting all over the cooled cake, then serve it forth.

Notes

• To make a lighter cake, use softened butter and cream it with the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the tomato soup until fully combined. Continue with the recipe as written in Step 2.

---