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A slice of tomato soup cake with cream cheese frosting and walnuts sits on a plate next to a can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup, hinting at the classic inspiration behind tomato soup cake. A fork rests beside the cake.
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Tomato Soup Cake

Tomato soup cake is an old-fashioned, eggless spice cake from my Dorothy Dean collection, made with a can of condensed tomato soup and topped with cream cheese frosting. The soup keeps it super moist, and with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, nobody will ever guess the secret ingredient! It's an easy vintage recipe that's perfect for Thanksgiving and holiday dessert tables.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Tomato Soup Cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Cooling/Frosting Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12
Author Heidi Bruaw

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ Cup Shortening
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 10 ¾ ounce Can Tomato Soup undiluted
  • 2 Cups Flour sifted
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon Cloves
  • 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 Cup Raisins
  • ½ Cup Walnuts chopped

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 Package Cream Cheese 3 ounces, softened
  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉.
  • Grease 9-inch square cake pan and set aside.
  • With a mixer, cream shortening and sugar.
  • In a separate bowl, stir the baking soda into the tomato soup.
  • Add the tomato soup mixture to the creamed mixture and blend with the mixer.
  • Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and baking powder and then stir into the other mixture.
  • Stir in the raisins and the nuts.
  • Spoon the batter into the 9-inch square cake pan.
  • Bake at 350℉ for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Use a mixer to blend softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
  • Spread evenly on the cooled cake.

Notes

Helpful Tips
  • Use condensed soup: Grab condensed tomato soup, not the ready-to-eat kind. Ready-to-eat soup is thinner and will make the batter too runny.
  • Use a bigger bowl for the soup: The baking soda makes the soup foam up and grow a bit. A roomy bowl keeps it from spilling over.
  • Spoon and level your flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off instead of scooping straight from the bag. Too much flour makes the cake dry.
  • Keep raisins and nuts from sinking: Toss them in a spoonful of the flour mixture before stirring them in. The light coating helps them stay spread through the cake.
  • Spread the batter evenly: This batter is thick, so use a spatula to push it into the corners of the pan. That helps it bake evenly.
  • Check it at 50 minutes: Start checking with a toothpick at 50 minutes. If you're using a glass pan, check a few minutes early since glass bakes faster.
  • Let it cool completely: Frost the cake only after it's completely cool. A warm cake will melt the cream cheese frosting.
  • Soften the cream cheese: Set it on the counter for about an hour before mixing. Cold cream cheese makes lumpy frosting.
  • Want more frosting? The recipe makes a thin layer. Double it if you love a thick, generous frosting.
  • Make it a day ahead: Spice cakes taste even better the next day once the flavors settle in. That makes this a great bake-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving.
  • Keep the secret: Don't tell anyone what's in it until they've had a bite. Watching them guess is half the fun!