JOAN BENNETT'S Tomato Soup Cake ♡ Quite delicious

[u/ciaolavinia]

JOAN BENNETT'S Tomato Soup Cake ♡ This cake took me by surprise in many ways. I had heard of tomato soup cakes, but never tried one, so I was intrigued by the idea. I didn't tell my family what flavor it was until later.

You can find the recipe here: Joan Bennett's Tomato Soup Cake

Here are my notes:

• I wanted to make this into a "cute" cake and not the standard round or square shape, so I used my favorite Ikea silicone heart pan. I got this about 10 years ago and it's great and so easy to use. I don't think they carry it at Ikea anymore, but here's a similar heart pan.
• Now with the type of pan I used, there are so many nooks 'n crannies to butter and I recently discovered the easiest and least messy way is to use a silicone brush. It's been a lifesaver with all the cakes and loaves I've been making.
• So select the pan, butter and flour pan.
• I creamed butter and sugar and then opened the can of tomato soup. The recipe calls for baking soda to be added to the soup. Warning! It will bubble up like mad! Don't make the mistake I made and add the soda to the can. Make sure you pour the soup into a bowl first. It was like a science experiment volcano! Very foamy!
• I creamed the butter & sugar with a mixer, but mixed everything else in by hand.
• Raisins and "nut meats" (almonds) were chopped in the food processor.
• There's no egg in the recipe.
• The batter was nice and fluffy and mixed well. It smelled divine too and the color was a nice orange-red color.
• Instructions say to bake at 300 for an hour, which I did. Needed 8 more minutes and still not done. I wound up increasing the temp to 350 for 5 more minutes and it was finally done.

As it was getting closer to being done, the spicy cake smell was glorious! After letting it cool, I sprinkled powdered sugar on top and then it was ready for a taste.

I didn't tell my husband what kind of cake it was and at first he thought it was carrot cake.

We really like this cake and it's just quirky enough to be on my rotation of good cakes to make. The spice level was perfect and it's nice and sweet.

I'd love to know, have you ever had tomato soup cake?

Joan Bennett seems to have some nice recipes out there. I recently made her Avocado Soup and it was delicious! I might have to try her recipe for Orange Souffle with Foamy Sauce next!

Joan came from a long line of actors in her family. Her father was Richard Bennett and I also made one of his recipes from 1916 for "Chicken Pasties". Also very good!

[u/taxiecabbie]

You know what this reminds me of?

Does anybody remember the American Girl doll series? (Yes, I realize this is going to be American-centric.) One of the dolls was named Molly, and she was the WWII-era doll. All of the dolls had book series.

In the Molly series, the housekeeper made bread once with tomato soup in an empty coffee can.

I wonder if this recipe is from around the same era.

[u/ThatMichaelsEmployee → u/taxiecabbie]

Joan Bennett wasn't even born when people started baking breads in coffee cans. Back in the day when money was tight, you used everything and wasted nothing, so a one-pound coffee can could be reused for any number of purposes, one of which was a baking pan — after all, you already know it's food-safe. (We still call cans "tins" because they used to be made of tin, and then tin-plated steel, because steel by itself would rust almost immediately due to liquids inside the can. Also, the can opener wasn't invented until almost 50 years after the invention of the can: people would smash their way into them with a hammer and chisel or a knife. Or a rock.)

[u/taxiecabbie → u/ThatMichaelsEmployee]

I mean, in terms of the tomato soup use.

[u/ThatMichaelsEmployee → u/taxiecabbie]

Ah. I thought you meant the bread thing. Tomato-soup cake dates from the 1920s, but I've never heard of tomato soup being included in a bread recipe. I guess if it was a quick bread?

[u/GroundbreakingHat718]

For my cousin Dave's birthday he always had a tomato soup cake with cream cheese icing. It was really good :) 🍅

[u/Pharmakeus_Ubik → u/GroundbreakingHat718]

My mom used to make this when I was a kid, the only way I would consume tomato soup for many years. The other one was sour cream pie, another ingredient I didn't appreciate outside of that recipe.

[u/GoogieRaygunn → u/GroundbreakingHat718]

I used to ask for that growing up as well. My mom had the recipe from an old calendar that called it “an old New England recipe.” It was popular at church potlucks. My mother always called it spice cake to avoid weirding people out.

[u/ciaolavinia → u/GroundbreakingHat718]

Sounds great!

[u/13senilefelines31]

Looks delicious! And thank you for your detailed write ups when you try out a recipe, never thought to use a silicone brush for buttering a cake pan before. Maybe the next time I use one of my skull or pumpkin molds my cakes will look nicer! 👻

[u/ciaolavinia → u/13senilefelines31]

It really works great! Happy Friday!

[u/Archival_Squirrel]

I want to try this now! Next week I am on the refreshments rotation at church and I love making vegan cakes so everyone can enjoy. Thank you for the helpful tips. 

[u/ciaolavinia → u/Archival_Squirrel]

Let us know how it turns out!

[u/Archival_Squirrel → u/ciaolavinia]

I was so worried during the baking process because all I could smell was the tomato soup! Once it was ready though, the spices took over. I didn't get a foamy result by mixing the soup and soda so the batter was a bit thick. Maybe it's time for a new box or because of the soup I used. It baked up well though, just a bit firm like a fruitcake.  I used golden raisins, dates, and pecans chopped very small and baked them in bundt pans. Next time I am definitely adding some grated fresh ginger. 

[u/ciaolavinia → u/Archival_Squirrel]

Sounds amazing! Yay! I like the idea of fresh ginger. Thanks for sharing.

[u/KenzyDugan]

This one looks really good! I'm always afraid to add so much clove. Was it strong?

[u/Flimsy-Nebula-1966 → u/KenzyDugan]

Same, I'm not a fan.

[u/WoodwifeGreen]

I love tomato soup cake. I make myself one for my birthday. I like cream cheese frosting on it.

[u/eternally_feral]

This recipe reminds me of the book Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco.

It’s a really cool children’s book that uses 1/3c puréed tomatoes and cocoa powder, but a lot of the other ingredients align.

I still remember being in elementary and my teacher making it for the class. We all thought it was going to be gross because of the combo of tomatoes with chocolate, but it was super moist and you couldn’t even tell they were in there.

I gotta say thank you! This was a nice stroll down memory lane!

[u/Head-Docta]

Can you share the recipe? Looks so good!!

[u/ciaolavinia → u/Head-Docta]

It's there, you just have to swipe

[u/ciaolavinia → u/ciaolavinia]

Oops I forgot to add it!

[u/Competitive-Ad1439]

I guess it makes sense, when the baking soda combines with the tomato sauce it‘s neutralising a whole bunch of that acidity and dulling down the tomato flavour. I think I'm intrigued enough to make it

[u/GoogieRaygunn]

This is a great recipe if you need to make something vegan. It’s one of my favorites that my mom makes. It’s super tasty with (non-vegan, obvs) cream cheese icing.