I don’t know what made me take a trip down memory lane yesterday, but I went way back to the early 1960’s and my mother baking in our kitchen on Berry Road. My Mom was a good baker and made lots of cookies, pies and cakes for her growing brood. I was not a fan of chocolate so my favorites were apple pie, molasses crinkle cookies and this chock full of warm spices, tomato soup cake. It was a popular recipe back in the day. Loaded with raisins and chopped pecans, it requires neither eggs or milk. The moisture comes from a can of tomato soup. You can’t taste the soup at all but it does have a bit of a rosie hew to it. The cake has a dense texture which holds up well to the delectable cream cheese frosting. I asked Sparky if his mother had ever made a tomato soup cake and he looked at me like I had two heads! He informed me that his mother only made chocolate cake or a strawberry angel food cake and those were all he ever requested. Sparky was very skeptical about this tomato soup cake until he took his first bite and now he he keeps going back for “just one more little piece!”
Here’s what we’ll need.
Tomato Soup Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
The Cake
- 2 cups sifted AP flour I do recommend sifting the flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamom
- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 10 1/2 oz can condensed tomato soup
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 3 Tbsp softened butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- First, grate the nutmeg and sift the AP flour into a large bowl. I had to post this photo of the nutmeg being grated because the aroma is one of my favorite smells in the whole wide world!
- Add the spices, salt, and baking soda to the flour and whisk to combine.
- In another large bowl, combine the soft butter and the sugar. Beat at high speed with an electric mixture until light and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the flour to the sugar mix alternating with the condensed tomato soup.
- Stir in the chopped pecans and the raisins. The batter will be stiff.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. I wet the back of a large spoon and used it to smooth the top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack while you make the frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the cream cheese, soft butter and vanilla in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth, using an electric mixer. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Use to frost the cake after it has cooled completely.
- Thank you all for stopping by today. I truly appreciate all the friends I have here on The Journey Girl. Y'all make my day! Today my wish for you is to reflect back to your own childhood days and remember those special dishes your mom or your dad made for you. Cooking for your family is a way of saying "I love you." Oh....if there is a recipe from your own past that you have lost, tell me about it and I'll see what I can do to bring back your memories.
- Until next time, Journey On! Hugs and much love from me, Karen, TJG
Leave a Reply