First let me say, this cake tastes much better than it sounds! This recipe originated in the late 1920’s or early 1930’s. It was enormously popular throughout the depression as it is made without using eggs or butter. It was sometimes called Mystery Cake and a game was made of making first time eaters guess the secret ingredient. It has a delightfully spicy flavor, making it almost impossible to discern that it is made with tomato soup.
I have made some adjustments to the recipe to make it a little healthier. I replaced the 1/2 cup of lard with 2 Tablespoons of vegetable shortening and the sugar with honey.
Tomato Soup Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard
¾ cup honey (you can substitute 1 cup sugar)
1 – 10 3/4 oz. can condensed tomato soup (Condensed Tomato Soup Substitute)
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour**
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the honey and vegetable shortening. Add the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and condensed tomato soup to the mixing bowl and stir until all of the ingredients are fully combined.
Slowly add the flour to the mixing bowl in half cup increments, stirring well after each addition to ensure all of the flour is fully combined. Add baking powder, baking soda, and the walnuts to the mixing bowl. Continue stirring until all ingredients are fully incorporated into the batter.
Pour the cake batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350F for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.
Once it is cooled you can top it with cream cheese frosting or serve it plain. I leave it plain if I am planning on packing it in lunches and top it with frosting if I will be serving it to guests. I halve the Cream Cheese and Butter Frosting recipe that I use on my Pumpkin Cookies when I frost the Tomato Soup Cake.
**You can use this Gluten Free Cake Flour to make this recipe gluten free.
Printable Tomato Soup Cake Recipe
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard
- ¾ cup honey (you can substitute 1 cup sugar)
- 1 - 10¾ oz. can condensed tomato soup (Condensed Tomato Soup Substitute)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ( use gluten-free all-purpose flour to make this gluten-free)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cloves
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the honey and vegetable shortening. Add the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and condensed tomato soup to the mixing bowl and stir until all of the ingredients are fully combined.
- Slowly add the flour to the mixing bowl in half cup increments, stirring well after each addition to ensure all of the flour is fully combined. Add baking powder, baking soda, and the walnuts to the mixing bowl. Continue stirring until all ingredients are fully incorporated into the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350F for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pan
More Cake Recipes
Vanilla Bundt Cake with Berry Topping
Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake with Chai Spices
Rae says
Oh my goodness, that sounds so disgusting I have to try it just to prove myself wrong! Recipes like this really intrigue me – thanks for sharing!
Alea says
LOL! I know it does sound weird, but you really can't taste the tomato soup.
The Quintessential Magpie says
That's very interesting! What a neat story, and it sounds intriguing to me. I might give it a whirl!
Happy Foodie Friday…
XO,
Sheila 🙂
SnoWhite says
what a cool cake! Thanks for the recipe — I might have to give it a try sometime.
ButterYum says
I've come across this recipe many times over the years, most recently in the new baking cookbook Rose's Heavenly Cakes. I've never made it, but I suppose I will at some point.
🙂
ButterYum
Iris says
What a strange idea! I kind of want to try it just to see how it is!
Emma says
My grandma used to make this cake except her recipe had raisins and no nuts. In my opinions it really needs the raisins for extra moisture.
Conitchewa says
This is a family recipe of ours too, from the depression era. A family favorite. We normally dont tell people its a “tomato soup cake” until they’ve tried it. Its basically a spice cake. We always serve it iced with a simple Coffee flavored icing. Yum!
Conitchewa says
I wanted to say as well, we add raisins not nuts too….
Evelyn says
I have made this cake for over 48 years. My husband called it a “Husband Cake”, why, I don’t know, but it was his favorite lunch cake. I have made this for others but did not tell them it was a tomato soup cake until after they ate it. Then they couldn’t believe it…it is so moist…
Jacqueline says
With or without the icing is really spicey
Tina M. says
Love this cake. I have made this cake for many many years but with no nuts. I also add a cup of chopped dates and/or raisins for the added moisture. And I go a little heavy on the cloves because I like the spicy flavor.
This cake keeps well and is delicious with a cup of tea just about any time of day. My daughter actually makes me one every year for my birthday as it falls in December and she knows my time is at a premium during that month.
This particular version of the recipe was handed down to me from my mother.