Father’s Day is just around the corner. We’re always on the lookout for ideas that might delight Dad; something a bit out of the ordinary. This year we’re making an old-fashioned Tomato Soup Cake. That’s right, a cake made with a can of tomato soup!
My dad was a practical midwestern fellow who insisted on a tomato soup cake for every birthday and Father’s Day. He considered it a manly cake – what tough guys eat to celebrate. It is actually a basic spice cake mixed with a can of tomato soup. The soup provides the acid that replaces buttermilk used to give the cake rise. It’s guessed that the tomato soup cake was developed during the Great Depression, when eggs and milk were pricey or unavailable. There are other accounts that it was widely made during the 1920s. Rest assured that there is no tomato flavor to the cake. It is yummy, especially slathered with cream cheese frosting. A real crowd pleaser. And an interesting conversation starter as well. It is a fun Father’s Day gift.
After 60 years of making the cake my mother tired of it. One year she decorated the cake by using soup can as a vase; She placed it right in the center of the cake with a few garden flowers inside. We all got a chuckle out of that.
I’ve included the recipe from scratch here but rest assured that a boxed spice cake mix combined with a can of tomato soup will suffice in a pinch – just substitute the can of tomato soup for the water called for on the box instructions. The special occasion, though, provides a great opportunity to get the kids involved in making a cake from scratch. The recipe lends itself well to cupcakes. I’ve served it to kids ages 5-13. They all give it an enthusiastic thumbs up, even though they start out with but
The cream cheese frosting can be made from scratch, too. Recipe follows.
Tomato Soup Cake
This recipe comes from the delightful YouTube channel Tasting History with Max Miller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yycRtBAIYE4. He provides the interesting background on the origins of the tomato soup cake.
Preheat oven to 325°
Ingredients
1 standard can condensed tomato soup (10.75 oz)
½ cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups cake flour or regular flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
½ cup raisin
½ cup nuts (walnuts or pecans work well)
Instructions
Add melted butter to soup and combine with sugar. Sift spices, soda, salt, and baking powder with flour and add to first mixture. Then add raisins and nuts. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
When the cake is completely cooled, remove from pan and spread with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
Approx. 3 cups powdered sugar (plus more as needed)
In a large bowl, beat softened butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth and creamy.
Stir in vanilla, then stir in powered sugar. Add more powdered sugar as needed until frosting is a thick spreadable consistency.
Spread onto cake.
However you celebrate Dad this year make sure you let him know how much you appreciate him. Happy Father’s Day from everyone at Chef-K!
