Tomato Soup Spice Cake is a deliciously flavored spice layer cake covered in a cream cheese frosting. It’s an easy to make from scratch cake. No one will ever guess there’s a can of tomato soup in this cake. But it’s definitely up there with Sauerkraut Cake when it comes to cakes with strange ingredients.
Tomato Soup Spice Cake dates back to the 1940s and in 1960 it became the first recipe to appear on a soup label. A can of Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup is mixed with a made from scratch spice cake batter flavored with allspice, cinnamon, and cloves.
You may think tomato soup and cake don’t go together but they do. Tomatoes are a fruit afterall and they wonderfully complement the flavor of the cake. As a bonus, they give the cake a beautiful red hue.
The cake is covered in a thick and rich cream cheese frosting that’s very sweet but also has a little tang. It goes together perfectly with all the spices in the cake.
Tomato Soup Spice Cake is an heirloom recipe worth remembering and enjoying on occasion. Plus, it’s a great conversation starter.
With all the spices in the batter, your house will smell heavenly as this cake bakes.
More Cakes with unexpected ingredients:
Tomato Soup Spice Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup water
Frosting
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese,, softened
- 1/2 cup butter,, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 (1-pound) box confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans or spray with baking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to mix well.
- Add tomato soup, shortening, eggs, and water.
- Beat on LOW with an electric mixer until combined. Mix on medium-high for 4 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 22 to 25 minutes
- Let cakes cool in pans for 5 minutes then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
- To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and milk until creamy. Gradually add in confectioner's sugar
- Spread icing between cake layers and on sides and tops. Store in refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I tried the Tomato Soup Cake in the 70s, when it was on the Tomato soup can. The first time I followed the directions. The second time I substituted milk instead of water, and I added 1/2 Cup of raisins. It became a holiday tradition.
Since tomatoes are an acidic fruit, you can add different fruits and/or nuts. Play around with the recipe, to make it your own.
My family loved this cake…daughter just requested it for her bithday dinner.
Don’t be afraid to try it!
I am side eyeing this cake concept pretty hard, but I have heard of it before. Have you made the sauerkraut cake yet??
My Great Aunt used to make tomato soup cake and it was delicious. I have made it myself and love it. The only difference it had from this one was she added raisins to hers. It does not taste like tomatoes at all. It simply tastes like a spice cake. The soup gives it moisture so it is never a dry cake.
My Mom used to make chocolate sauerkraut cake when I was little and it was also good and did not taste like sauerkraut nor was it bitter or sour at all. I will say the texture is not for everyone as the strings of sauerkraut do not appeal to everyone’s texture preferences.
Excellent recipe. I made it a few years back and lost my recipe. I am glad I found this one!