Give an old-school loaf cake a 1950s twist with this wonderful and slightly wacky secret ingredient

Tomato soup cake recipe

You might think something has gone terribly awry in a society when condensed tomato soup finds its way into a cake. Perhaps you think of it as an indicator of the beginning of the end, and that we should put a stop to things before it all goes to the pits. I shared this sentiment as I recoiled from the sound of soup entering my batter, upon making my first tomato soup cake. But the truth is, tomato soup has been the secret ingredient in countless spice cakes even before the 1950s. The Campbell Soup Company jumped on the opportunity and began promoting recipes for soup cakes on their products. The 1950s saw the height of this tomato cake craze, and when paired with a cream cheese frosting, it is unusually and uncomfortably good. Unlike other wild, wacky, and wonderful bakes, I cannot tell you why it works. It is one of the unanswered questions of life. I can only tell you that it does, and you should try it.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 cup (200g) white sugar
• 2 cups (280g) plain flour
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 can (305g) condensed tomato soup
• 1 tsp baking soda

Frosting

• 85g cream cheese, softened
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 3 cups (360g) icing sugar
• 30g bitter chocolate, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt

METHOD

1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). Grease a 23 x 13cm loaf tin.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until crumbly.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
4. In a third bowl, combine the condensed soup and baking soda.
5. Working quickly, alternate adding the flour and soup mixtures to the creamed mixture. Mix until barely combined.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre can be removed cleanly. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with which an electric hand mixer is to be used, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the milk.
8. Beat in the icing sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well.
9. Beat in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth.
10. Frost the completely cooled loaf using a spatula or a piping bag.

This is an edited extract of Baking Yesteryear by B. Dylan Hollis, published by Alpha, RRP $49.99. Photography: Kelly Jordan Schuyler. Buy now