You would never guess that a can of tomato soup is the secret ingredient in this retro cake! A recipe that has been around for decades, this Tomato Soup Spice Cake Recipe with Cream Cheese Frosting is so simple yet a total crowd favorite.
I love an easy dessert, crowd pleasing dessert! If you are looking for even more, try this Dump Cake Recipe or Cake Mix Cookies.
Cookbook Review: Baking
Today’s cookbook review is a book that would be perfect for any home baker. Baking, from the editors of Food52, is filled with 60 recipes that are easy enough for a weeknight. I love the premise of this book – skip the store-bought treats and make something homemade instead. I have plenty of cookbooks that are filled with gorgeous or over the top or decadent treats – this one is filled with more of what I call Sunday night desserts. You know – those desserts that may not look like much, but really are a home run. Or the recipes that you can whip up from what you already have in the pantry and fridge.
You have some very normal recipes, like Brown Sugar Shortbread, but then there are recipes with more of a twist to keep things interesting, like Spiced Parsnip Cake. There is even a chapter of savory treats for when you aren’t looking for dessert.
Retro Tomato Soup Cake
The recipe I chose to make out of this book might seem a little out there at first glance. Tomato Soup Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I know what you’re thinking – did she just say tomato soup and spice cake in the same sentence?
I first heard about a tomato soup cake quite awhile ago, but I had never had the opportunity to make one or try one. So when I passed this recipe in the cookbook, I had to try it. I was intrigued.
The heading for this cake says that it came from former editor Marian Bull’s late grandmother. I actually think this is one of those recipes that many or grandmothers made back in the day. I did a little bit of research and couldn’t figure out the exact origins of this recipe, but some say it was first published in a cookbook in the 1920’s, but made popular by Campbell’s soup by including a version of it in a cookbook in the 1940’s. The book says that the recipe was developed by Irish immigrants who were looking for an alternate to work with.
Regardless of where it comes from, the true test is in the flavor, right? Despite the color of the cake, it doesn’t taste like tomato soup. At all. It tastes like a wonderful, rich spice cake. And I know that people are pretty passionately for or against raisins, but I definitely think they worked here. I am a raisin fan, though. Feel free to leave them out if you are not. But whatever you do, don’t skip out on the cream cheese frosting. It’s an absolute must on this cake. I added in a little bit of cinnamon for a little something extra, and I think I just may be adding a bit of cinnamon to every cream cheese frosting from now on.
The book has this cake as a 2 layer cake. But the only way I could imagine my grandma making this cake is simply – in a 9×13-inch pan with a thick layer of frosting on top. I’m so glad I took it this direction. This cake is such a simple cake, and I it worked perfectly as a one layer, one baking dish cake.
This Tomato Soup Spice Cake Recipe was a hit, and not one of my taste testers guessed that tomato soup was the secret ingredient. I can’t wait to bake more from this book!
More Cake Recipes
Tres Leches Cake
Carrot Sheet Cake with Toasted Coconut
Pistachio Pudding Cake
Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Apple Cinnamon Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
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Tomato Soup Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 10 3/4 oz can condensed tomato soup
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 to 3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Add the soup, butter, eggs, and water and, using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Fold in the raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth and light. Add the butter and beat into the cream cheese. Add 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Continue to add confectioners’ sugar until you have your desired consistency. Beat in the cinnamon.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake. Cut into slices to serve.
Ronette Gower says
My mother used to make this all the time! It was fairly inexpensive and with 6 kids in the family, I’m sure that was helpful! I started baking at a very young age so it ended up my ho to! Recipe was lost over the years, so I’m very happy to see it here! Can’t wait to bake it once again!! Don’t be put out by the name….it should read Just a darn good spice cake”!🤣
Kathy Wehr says
In the 70’s we went to Iran for my husband’s job and I took this recipe with me. I was so glad I did because all the ingredients were available there. Granted you had to pick the pebbles out of the raisins, and double-sift the flour to remove bits and pieces, and hammer the sugar off a cone before crushing it with a rolling pin. But tomato soup was easy to get and the bazaar had all the spices you would ever need. I experimented with various spices and found the cinnamon, ginger, mace and cumin were the tastiest combo for my family. In tsp. measurements they were: 2, 1, 1/2, & 1/2. Sometimes I used chopped dates or dried prunes. At Thanksgiving we added a little ground cloves to round it out. I’m 79 now and don’t bake much, but I think I’ll surprise my daughter with a cake tomorrow.
JackieO M G says
You should toss the raisins with a little of the flour mixture before folding them into the batter. Otherwise, the raisins tend to sink to the bottom, as appears to be the case in the photo of the finished cake.
Daniele says
My mother used to make this cake, and I loved it! She didn’t use raisins, she used chopped dates, and they were delicious. I’m not a fan of raisins, but the dates really are good!
Lonna says
My grandmother shared this recipe with her daughter, my mother. It is one which she made quite often. Our family loved it. Paging through my personal cookbook I often see it, but refrain from making it because I try not to make too many desserts. But I miss eating it. So good.
Nancy Reynolds Boyle says
I was born in 1932 and this was my favorite cake! My grandmother’s recipe that my mother made a copy of and I still have. It was always made for me as my birthday cake. When I was away at school, Mom would send me one. When I was far from home, she sent me the ingredients for me to make my own birthday cake. A truly family tradition for me!!
Rosalita Cortez says
My mom made this recipe when I was a kid. I tried it as an adult, and made it around the holidays for friends and family. It was always a hit, but I’d serve it and tell people later the secret ingredient. I’m not a fan of raisins in cake, so I’d use walnuts instead, and would use 3/4 cup of milk instead of a 1/2 cup of water. Personal preference… I’m not an experienced baker, but it made it less dry. I just made it today from this recipe, and it turned out delicious.