Tomato Soup Cake Recipe (2024)

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by Alea Milham 15 Comments

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This old-fashioned tomato soup cake recipe tastes like a spice cake. You can cook this vintage cake recipe in a loaf pan or in a cake pan.

Tomato Soup Cake Recipe (1)
First let me say, this cake tastes much better than it sounds! This recipe originated in the late 1920s or early 1930s. It was enormously popular throughout the depression as it is made without using eggs or butter.

Tomato Soup Cake 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.

This recipe was passed down to me by my mom. This is the cake recipe that I associate with my mom because she has been making it every year during the holidays for as long as I can remember. While Tomato Soup Cakes have been around for years, my mom is the only one I know who makes it in a loaf pan. Most people make it in cake pans, a 9×13 pan, or a bundt cake pan. If you don’t cook it in a bread loaf pan, you will have to alter the cooking time.

If you don’t have a can of condensed tomato soup, you can use this recipe for Condensed Tomato Soup Substitute.

More Depression Cake Recipes

Chocolate Depression Cake Recipe

Vanilla Depression Cake Recipe

Tomato Soup Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 can condensed tomato soup (10 3/4 ounces) (Condensed Tomato Soup Substitute)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups flour**
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar 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.
  2. 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, the walnuts, and raisins to the mixing bowl. Continue stirring until all ingredients are fully incorporated into the batter.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

**You canusethisGluten Free Cake Flour to make this recipe gluten-free.

When the cake is cool, frost it with the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe below or, if you wish, slice it and serve it plain.

Tomato Soup Cake Recipe (2)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 3-ounce package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Put all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix together until the right consistency to spread on cake.

Tomato Soup Cake Recipe (3)

Printable Tomato Soup Cake Recipe

4.8 from 4 reviews

Tomato Soup Cake

Tomato Soup Cake Recipe (4)

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Prep time

Cook time

Author: Alea

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 12

Ingredients

  • ½ cup vegetable shortening or lard
  • 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

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 Depression Cake Recipe

Chocolate Depression Cake Recipe

Vanilla Bundt Cake with Berry Topping

Brown Sugar Pecan Coffee Cake with Chai Spices

Easy Mocha Fudge Bundt Cake with Mocha Fudge Glaze

About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Nonna says

    does anyone know if you could substitute oil for the lard? If so would it me more or less moist? I am so anxious to make it!

    Reply

  2. Deborah says

    My Grandma would make this every Sunday for as long as I can remember. I am 73 now. She used to call it a war cake. Because they were only allowed so much of everything to cook with. Still my favorite cake. Blessings

    Reply

  3. Patricia L Larson says

    I’ve made this cake dozens of times people can’t wait till i make it .I used to watch my mom make it, no eggs in it. It’s good for company when you don’t have any dessert. Frost it with a thin coating of butter frosting ,serve with coffee yummmmm. Enjoy

    Reply

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Tomato Soup Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to canned tomato soup to make it better? ›

10 Simple Ingredients to Add to Tomato Soup
  1. 1) Fresh Rosemary. Kicking off the list is the simplest way to jazz up your tomato soup – fresh herbs. ...
  2. 2) Sauteed Onions. ...
  3. 3) Crispy Bacon. ...
  4. 4) Cream. ...
  5. 5) Chutney. ...
  6. 6) Melted Cheese. ...
  7. 7) Tinned Anchovies. ...
  8. 8) Toasted Pine Nuts.
Mar 21, 2022

Why do you put baking soda in tomato soup? ›

- Adding baking soda to tomato soup and tomato sauces helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Tomato flavors really shine, and your sauce or soup will not curdle if you add milk. - Adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to 1 cup of tomato sauce or soup will make flavors sparkle and become less acidic.

How to keep milk from curdling in tomato soup? ›

Stabilize with a Starch

Starches like flour or cornstarch help stabilize the milk emulsion. This will prevent it from separating. A common technique is to thicken your sauce or soup with roux before adding the milk. This changes the makeup of the liquid and prevents curdling.

Can you add cream to tomato soup without curdling? ›

The recipe uses cream instead of milk, which is crucial: The fat in the cream protects the dairy from curdling. A little more science: Fat protects the proteins in milk.

Can you use milk instead of water in canned tomato soup? ›

Start by combining one can of tomato soup with a can full of milk, as you usually would. We're not using water here. I usually use 1% milk, but if you aren't calorie conscious and have it on hand, of course it would be even better with half and half or heavy cream.

How to jazz up store-bought tomato soup? ›

Use Herbs and Seasonings

Add chopped fresh basil or parsley at the end of cooking to bring out that rich tomato flavor. Turn to your pantry for seasonings like fresh cracked black pepper, Italian seasoning or oregano, stirring them in while the soup is still cooking.

Why put sugar in tomato soup? ›

Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others.

Why add flour to tomato soup? ›

Tomato soup can be a bit thin, especially with the addition of cream at the end of cooking, so flour is added to the sautéing aromatics to thicken the soup.

Why does my homemade tomato soup taste bitter? ›

Leaf states that this can be due to burning the sauce in the pot or simply dealing with a batch of produce that are overly acidic or metallic from canning or cooking. This can also come from under-ripe or low-quality tomatoes, as well as stirring in a hefty amount of tomato paste, per Boss The Kitchen.

Why is there white stuff in my tomato soup? ›

What causes this? Tomatoes are very acidic and milk or cream is added to them, curdling can occur. Curdling will be more likely to happen when the ratio of acid to cream increases or when mixing a cold and hot mixture.

Why does my tomato soup taste sour? ›

If you don't want to resort to sugar, baking soda, broth or cinnamon, you just have one thing left to do; cook the tomato as little as possible because, perhaps you can't imagine it, but the more tomato it cooks, the more sour it becomes.

How to make Campbell's tomato soup without milk curdling? ›

If you use the milk, you may want to add 1/4 t. baking soda to the condensed mixture and heat both before adding tomato mixture to milk to prevent curdling.

What can I add to tomato soup to make it taste better? ›

Try making a quick cioppino by adding fresh crab, garlic, and fresh herbs to prepared tomato soup. Have some celery or fennel? Add that in too! Another quick way to add a ton of depth to your bowl is with a drizzle of flavored oil.

What can I substitute for heavy cream in tomato soup? ›

The 10 Best Substitutes for Heavy Cream
  • Milk and butter.
  • Soy milk and olive oil.
  • Milk and cornstarch.
  • Half-and-half.
  • Tofu and soy.
  • Yogurt and milk.
  • Evaporated milk.
  • Cottage cheese and milk.

How to thicken up tomato soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

How to jazz up canned soup? ›

How To Make Canned Soup Taste Like Homemade
  1. Sauté some onions and/or garlic: Low and slow is the way to go. ...
  2. Add protein: Leftover chicken or steak, some cooked diced ham or bacon or sausage (just a little — that soup is already salty). ...
  3. More vegetables: This is a great place for leftover cooked veggies.
Apr 25, 2023

How do you make canned tomato sauce taste better? ›

Add fresh herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf), and let them simmer to give a punch of fresh flavor.

How do you enhance canned tomatoes? ›

First, pour some olive oil into the pot and heat it over medium heat. Then, add the canned tomatoes to the pot and let them cook for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add some garlic, basil, salt, and pepper to the pot and let everything cook for another 20 minutes. And that's it!

What can I add to soup that is too tomatoey? ›

A tried-and-true method for reducing acidity in tomato-based dishes is to add a small amount of baking soda. Adding a pinch of baking soda can help neutralize the acid and make your tomato soup taste smoother. However, be cautious not to add too much, as it can alter the flavor of the soup.

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