Tomato Soup Cake

[Norcalbaker59]

I borrowed my sister’s equipment to make lefse for the upcoming holiday. Lefse is a potato like crepe that’s eaten like bread. It is such a part of midwest Norwegian life that the women of most church congregations print up cookbooks with their favorite recipes, including their family’s lefse recipe. And every family has their own lefse recipe. So my sister was looking up the lesfe recipe of her husband’s grandmother when she came across a recipe for Tomato Soup Cake.

This is the most bizarre cake recipe I have ever seen. I told my sister I was going to make it for her.

I’m curious has anyone ever heard of or made a tomato soup cake?

My sister noticed that most of the savory dishes the the church cookbook contain canned soup. Could tomato soup cake be a Campbell Soup company recipe? Maybe a mid-west recipe? I’m really curious about this soup cake.

 

[Apocalypso]

I remember hearing of a tomato soup cake, but I've never made it. King Arthur has a version of it on its site: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/mystery-cake-tomato-soup-spice-cake-recipe

I've also seen ketchup cake, though I've never had it - and that seems to now be a Canadian thing, recipes on bottles of Heinz Ketchup in Canada? Maybe to get a nice red cake for Canada Day. I had forgotten, Jenn at Cookies, Cupcakes and Cardio (YouTube channel) had a video on it that I must have seen a while back.

I noticed, when looking at the Slovak-American Cookbook I ordered online (an edition the same or similar to the one my mom and aunts had), that many of the recipes weren't really ethnic traditional foods, but recipes popular in the 1950s or so. I'll have to dig it out to see if the tomato soup cake was in there too.

Campbell's has the history and timeline of this cake on their web site: https://www.campbellsoupcompany.com...-history-of-campbells-tomato-soup-spice-cake/

 

[Norcalbaker59]

So many thanks. Your links provide some interesting background on this cake.

The King Arthur Flour link references M.F.K. Fisher-the greatest writer of food since humans began to muse about what we eat, and how we cook it.

So that tidbit really grabbed my attention. I googled “M.F.K. Fisher tomato soup cake” and discovered she included a recipe for tomato soup cake in her third cookbook, How to Cook a Wolf, 1942. A few food bloggers attribute the recipe to Fisher. Not an unreasonable assumption given Fisher’s cookbook is a ode to cooking in times of austerity.

But the Campbell Soup company’s records for the recipe predates Fisher’s cookbook by 2 years. And Campbell Soup acknowledges an earlier recipe in an unattributed cookbook dating back to late 1920 or early 1930. Given the lack of eggs and milk, and the odd addition of canned tomato soup, the recipe definitely reflects the austerity and extraordinary hardship of the Great Depression.

I’m so fascinated by what we eat and why. How geography, weather, culture, politics, and economics shapes concepts of food.

 

[Apocalypso]

I’m so fascinated by what we eat and why. How geography, weather, culture, politics, and economics shapes concepts of food.

Me too! I think I referenced it before on this forum recently, but can't remember. Some years ago, I saw a documentary on PBS that talked about how we went from eating what limited, seasonal, local foods we had available to a more national cuisine, based on immigration, internal migration, the railroad, advanced canning and preserving, and refrigeration. I thought it was called Moveable Feast, but a search for that doesn't turn up the right things (I know it's a common phrase). I can't remember whether that would have been when I was a high schooler, or much later. The concepts stuck in my memory but not the details.

You're right, scarcity during the Depression, plus the more recent developments of mass production of canned milk and foods, made some of those things a Godsend for those who would have been limited to root vegetables in the cellar, cured meats and dried beans in a hard winter outside big cities in the late 1800s.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Me too! I think I referenced it before on this forum recently, but can't remember. Some years ago, I saw a documentary on PBS that talked about how we went from eating what limited, seasonal, local foods we had available to a more national cuisine, based on immigration, internal migration, the railroad, advanced canning and preserving, and refrigeration. I thought it was called Moveable Feast, but a search for that doesn't turn up the right things (I know it's a common phrase). I can't remember whether that would have been when I was a high schooler, or much later. The concepts stuck in my memory but not the details.

You're right, scarcity during the Depression, plus the more recent developments of mass production of canned milk and foods, made some of those things a Godsend for those who would have been limited to root vegetables in the cellar, cured meats and dried beans in a hard winter outside big cities in the late 1800s.

I am so happy to know that I am not the only food nerd on this forum. That PBS documentary sounds so interesting. There really is no such thing as “authentic “recipes. Every culture has borrowed from another. I just mixed a new sourdough starter this morning. As I was mixing it I was thinking about how I am use a method to make bread that spans thousands of years, over thousands of miles. Each time we cook or bake, we preserve history. Even your little meringue ghost guys are a tribute to culinary history.

If I could re-live my life I would definitely have chosen a career as a baker and a food historian. I took some incredibly cooking classes through the Getty museum down in Southern California a few years ago The woman who taught the class was an art historian, food historian, and chef. When the Getty opened a new exhibit, she would create a menu from the time period. We would start with a tour and lecture on the artifacts and the time period. Then head to the museum’s kitchen. Working in groups we would prepare dishes from that time period. She would try to use only those ingredients that would have been available at the time. Of course we used modern cooking equipment and techniques; but she would explain how cooking was accomplished in that particular era. When we were done cooking, we gathered around the community table to share the meal. It was very enjoyable.

If I had the resources I would open a bakery with a second large outdoor kitchen. A place I could use as a community cooking area. I would build a wood burning oven. Then I would host community bakes, invite all the neighbors to bring bread dough to bake in the wood-burning oven. Provide dough for those who don’t bake, but want a fresh loaf. And make balls of pizza dough to let the children make their own pizzas.

 

[ChesterV]

I've heard of Tomato Soup Cake before too, but never had it. I always figured it was more like 7up cake, just enough in the batter to call it that, even though it really doesn't taste like 7up.


And WOW.........you've been to the Getty Museums? Color me jealous. I've been to a few other states in my life, but I've never had the money to go see anything or do anything when I was there. Hell, I've never even been to any of the Dallas Museums, and I've been here most of my life. Well, I have been to the State Fair museum, but that was WAAAAAAAAY back in grade school.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Lol I forgot about 7-up cake. Yeah I never thought it tasted like 7-Up. And when I was a kid 7-Up was my second favorite soda pop. Squirt being my all time favorite.

Yes the Getty is an amazing museum. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve always lived in an area that had museums. But the Getty is hands down my favorite museum. Their permanent collection is extraordinary. And given their reputation and budget, they’re able to produce once in a lifetime exhibits.

When I saw the photographs of the new museum building back in the late ‘90’s, I was horrified. It was massive. And so modern. The original Getty Villa is very small; it’s no a human scale. I thought the new Getty building would be like the Louvre— so massive and overwhelming that the experience is more exhausting than enjoyable. So I was a bit hesitant the first time I visited the new museum. But the new building, which isn’t so new anymore, is a work of art in of itself. It is laid out beautifully. The collections are divided up in a number of buildings, so it’s not like a vast cavern of endless rooms. When I lived in SoCal I used to go to the Getty every couple of months. It was my zen time, so I rarely invited my ex to accompany me. But he did enjoy the cooking classes there. So we used to go together as a couple.

 

[-Daniel-]

This sounds fascinating, are you going to make it? I'd love to see how it turns out and understand if you liked the flavour

 

[Norcalbaker59]

This sounds fascinating, are you going to make it? I'd love to see how it turns out and understand if you liked the flavour

Yes absolutely I am going to make this for my sister. I can’t eat gluten so I have to give it to somebody. When I told my sister I was going to bake it for her, her text respond was: .

 

[ChesterV]

Yes absolutely I am going to make this for my sister. I can’t eat gluten so I have to give it to somebody. When I told my sister I was going to bake it for her, her text respond was: .

Definitely want some pics!!!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Definitely want some pics!!!

Will post them.

 

[Christy]

I had made Tomato Soup Cake many, many times.. (and eaten) I first heard of it from my soon to be Mother-in-Law long ago.. I wasn't sure she was pulling a trick or just trying to get me out of the picture. But, it has turned out that Tomato Soup Cake is the best cake with a really great story behind it in our family!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I had made Tomato Soup Cake many, many times.. (and eaten) I first heard of it from my soon to be Mother-in-Law long ago.. I wasn't sure she was pulling a trick or just trying to get me out of the picture. But, it has turned out that Tomato Soup Cake is the best cake with a really great story behind it in our family!

I’m glad to hear the cake tastes good. When I bake it for my sister for Christmas I’m thinking of baking it in round pans, then decorating it like any other layer cake.