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    Home » Cake Recipes

    Tomato Soup Cake: Just like Carrot Cake

    BY: Ben Rayl PUBLISHED: 29 Oct, '21 UPDATED: 29 Oct, '21 41 Comments

    RecipeVideoPrintComments
    5 from 3 votes
    Tomato soup cake with salted caramel icing

    Tomato soup cake, in many ways, reminds me of carrot cake. It's very much like a carrot cake in that it's super moist, and the spices blend together perfectly to give it fantastic flavor. The caramel adds a sweetness the balances everything together perfectly.

    Tomato soup cake with salted caramel icing
    The best tomato soup cake with caramel icing!
    Contents
    • 🍅 Easy Tomato Soup Cake Recipe
    • 🍽 What you need
    • 🔪 How to make Tomato Soup Cake
    • 📖 Frosting Variations
    • 💭 Top Recipe Tips
    • 🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating
    • 🍳 Related Cake Recipes
    • 👪 Serving size
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🍅 Easy Tomato Soup Cake Recipe

    Yeah...yeah...I know what you're thinking. Tomatoes in a cake? While it seems like an odd combination, you won't believe how tasty this cake is. And no, you can't taste the tomato soup in it at ALL! The tomato soup simply adds an orange-reddish hue to the cake while keeping it nice and moist. So if you're wondering what tomato soup cake taste like, the answer is a lovely rich spice cake.

    Tomato cake dates several decades back. The recipe's origin is not quite clear, but it was first published in Campbell's cookbooks in the '40s. It rose to popularity in the 1960s after appearing on the Campbell's tomato soup can's label. Baking enthusiasts later added cream cheese frosting to this retro cake.

    So I deviated from the original recipe slightly. I opted for salted caramel icing instead of cream cheese frosting. This icing complements the spice cake's flavor very well without overpowering it. But don't get me wrong, cream cheese icing is just as fantastic. I also added raisins to give this delicious spice cake an extra kick of flavor. The end result was oh-so-good - even my middle child, who's extremely picky, enjoyed it...and asked for another slice. He was utterly surprised when I told him tomato soup was the secret ingredient.

    I've lost count on how many times I've made this cake recipe since I came across it last year. Besides being rich in flavor and history, it's also super easy to make. Give it a try and watch it land into your favorite cake file!

    If you are a fan of cakes recipes, this will be one of your favorite ones!

    🍽 What you need

    To make tomato soup cake with caramel icing, you'll need common kitchen supplies. Make sure you have a 9-inch by 9-inch square cake pan, measuring spoons and cups, mixing bowls, and a spoon or rubber spatula.

    An electric stand mixer is excellent, but a hand mixer or mixing by hand is possible.

    Equipment

    • 9" x 9" square cake pan
    • Measuring spoons and cups
    • Mixing bowls
    • Cooking spray
    • Electric mixer
    • Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
    • Saucepan

    Ingredients

    For the Tomato Cake:

    • 1 can (10.75oz.) condensed tomato soup
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • ⅓ cup unsalted butter
    • 1 egg lightly beaten
    • 1 ½ cups flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 cup raisins

    For the Carmel Icing:

    • ½ cup butter
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

    If you cant' find Campbell's tomato soup in the grocery store, any condensed tomato soup will do.

    🔪 How to make Tomato Soup Cake

    Learn how to make tomato soup cake with caramel icing with step-by-step instructions, detailed pictures, recipe tips, and a full video detailing the recipe from start to finish.

    Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease the cake pan with cooking spray.

    Making the Cake:

    Step 1

    Whisk the condensed soup and baking soda together in a medium bowl, then set aside.

    Step 2

    Combine the butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, then add the egg and mix until combined.

    Step 3

    Pour in the tomato soup and beat together, then sift in the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger and combine.

    Step 4

    Add raisins and stir, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.

    Step 5

    Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean - do not overbake. Allow the cake to cool on the wire cooling rack for about 20 minutes.

    Step 6

    While the cake cools, make the icing.

    Making the Caramel Icing:

    Step 1

    Melt the butter in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan.

    Step 2

    Stir in the brown sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, and sea salt. Let the mixture come to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow it to boil for another 6 - 

    10 minutes or until you achieve desired consistency.

    Step 3

    Remove from heat and let it cool slightly, pour over the cake while still a bit warm, and spread evenly, then let it cool completely before serving.

    📖 Frosting Variations

    This tomato soup cake recipe is both foolproof and delicious. While I LOVE salted caramel, sometimes I switch things up and try different flavor combinations. These are my favorites;

    Cream Cheese Frosting

    In a mixing bowl, beat ½ cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 8oz cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add ½ cup sifted confectioners sugar. Beat the frosting until smooth and fluffy. Make sure you soften butter and cream cheese at room temperature.

    Maple frosting

    Use the same ingredients and amounts as the cream cheese frosting minus the cream cheese, then add ½ cup maple syrup. Follow the same instructions as well.

    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

    This delicious buttercream frosting I made to put on top of my chocolate cake with cherry filling. YUM!

    💭 Top Recipe Tips

    Here are a few tips and substitutions for this tomato soup spice cake;

    • Don't overmix or undermix the cake batter lest you want to end up with a chewy, dense cake. Don't overmix the frosting either; it'll become runny.
    • Give your cake about 1-2 hours to cool before frosting. A cooled cake is so much easier to work with.
    • It's best to wait for all refrigerated ingredients to come to room temperature for the best results.
    • You're welcome to sub the raisins with pecans, chopped walnuts, or currants.
    • If you don't have nutmeg and cinnamon, simply use spice cake mix or ground allspice.
    • For a more intense and warm flavor, toss half a teaspoon of ground cloves in the batter. For the icing, you can add a dash of pumpkin spice or cinnamon.
    • Instead of the cake pan, feel free to use a tube pan, bundt pan, or loaf pan. But keep an eye on the oven to ensure proper doneness.
    • If you don't have baking soda on hand, replace it with 3× baking powder and half the salt amount. This means 3 teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.
    Tomato soup cake with salted caramel icing

    🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

    What does tomato soup cake taste like?

    Contrary to what you might think, tomato soup cake does not taste like Tomato. It is moist, sweet, and delicately spiced. Tomato soup cake tastes like the best carrot cake I've ever had!

    What is Tomato Cake Soup?

    Dating back to the early 19th century, tomato cake soup first appeared in an undated cookbook. However, the first recorded dates started in 1940. Shortly after, in Sept. of 1942, the cake was modified to a Halloween Spice Cake.

    🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating

    To keep this tomato soup spice cake fresh and moist, you should store the leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

    Refrigerated

    If you don't intend to consume the cake within three days, let the icing harden before covering it with a plastic wrap or foil and storing it in an airtight container or bag. It will keep for approximately 4-5 days.

    Freeze

    Wrap the cake as directed above and freeze for up to 2 months.

    Thaw

    Let it sit at room temperature, wrapped until thawed. You can add a layer of frosting if desired.

    🍳 Related Cake Recipes

    Looking for easy baking recipes? Check out my collection of fun things to bake.

    • Pumpkin Cheesecake
    • Oreo Cheesecake
    • Chocolate Truffle Cake
    • Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

    For more tomato recipe ideas check out my delicious and comforting tomato bisque soup recipe.

    👪 Serving size

    The recipe feeds 6 people, but you can double the batch and bake in 2 pans. We typically eat one and freeze one.

    This easy-to-make tomato soup cake with salted caramel is truly one of the most unique cakes out there, making it the perfect birthday cake. It has so much flavor in every bite; I guarantee everyone you serve will love it.

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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Try one of my comfort dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!

    📋 Recipe

    Tomato soup cake with salted caramel icing

    Tomato Soup Cake with Salted Caramel Icing

    Learn how to make the "Perfect" tomato soup cake for your family! It's moist, sweet, spicy and delicious. Just like carrot cake, maybe even better!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved! Share
    Course: Brunch, Cake
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 663kcal
    Author: Ben Rayl

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 can tomato soup - 10.75 ounce can
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ⅓ cup butter
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 egg - lightly beaten
    • 1 ½ cups flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 cup raisins

    for the icing:

    • ½ cup butter
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

    Instructions

    for the cake:

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9-inch by 9-inch square cake pan.
    • Whisk the tomato soup and soda together in a small bowl, then set aside.
    • Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy, then add the egg and mix until combined.
    • Pour in the tomato soup and beat together, then sift in the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and combine.
    • Stir in the raisins then pour into a greased 9" x 9" square cake pan.
    • Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean - do not overbake.
    • While the cake cools, make the icing.

    for the icing:

    • Melt the butter in a heavy, medium sized sauce pan.
    • Stir in the brown sugar, condensed milk, vanilla and sea salt.  Let the mixture come to a boil, stirring constantly and allow it to boil for about 6 - 10 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and let it cool slightly, then  pour over the cake while still a bit warm and spread evenly then allow to cool completely before serving.

    Video

    Notes

    • Don't overmix or undermix the cake batter lest you want to end up with a chewy, dense cake. Don't overmix the frosting either; it'll become runny.
    • Give your cake about 1-2 hours to cool before frosting. A cooled cake is so much easier to work with.
    • It's best to wait for all refrigerated ingredients to come to room temperature for the best results.
    • You're welcome to sub the raisins with pecans, chopped walnuts, or currants.
    • If you don't have nutmeg and cinnamon, simply use spice cake mix or ground allspice.
    • For a more intense and warm flavor, toss half a teaspoon of ground cloves in the batter. For the icing, you can add a dash of pumpkin spice or cinnamon.
    • Instead of the cake pan, feel free to use a tube pan, bundt pan, or loaf pan. But keep an eye on the oven to ensure proper doneness.
    • If you don't have baking soda on hand, replace it with 3× baking powder and half the salt amount. This means 3 teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 6g | Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 140g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 897mg | Potassium: 839mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 93g | Vitamin A: 464IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 267mg | Iron: 3mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Pat

      January 22, 2019 at 1:57 pm

      Can you use dulce de Leche instead of sweetened condensed milk?

      Reply
    2. Becky Bunn

      November 05, 2018 at 9:13 pm

      5 stars
      By FAR the best cake l have ever made. The frosting is out of this world. Will be my new make often, take everywhere dessert!

      Reply
    3. JANET DE LAAT

      August 25, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      5 stars
      Tried this and EVERYBODY loved it. I had to make copies of the recipe for my neighbors. thanks so much.

      Reply
    4. Shamarie

      August 20, 2018 at 12:32 am

      Do you know the nutritional information? Calories, fat, sugar, carbs...etc?

      Reply
    5. Linda Saylor

      July 17, 2018 at 1:02 pm

      How much frosting make? Enough for a 9x13 cake? Sounds so good.

      Reply
    6. Ruth

      June 05, 2018 at 1:54 pm

      Loved this cake
      My husband dosnt like raisins so I used dates
      Turned out delish
      I will make it again

      Reply
    7. Vicki

      June 04, 2018 at 1:43 pm

      just put this in the oven, hope it turns out, it smelled great. I used golden raisins and pecans and put it in a bunt pan. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    8. KytchnWytch

      May 31, 2018 at 8:56 am

      By "flour", I'm guessing that you mean "all-purpose flour"?

      Reply
    9. Manuela

      May 30, 2018 at 1:14 pm

      Hi all,

      could somebody do me the favor and check how many mililiters fit into a suitable cakepan, or maybe check how deep the pan is? I am from Austria, Europe, and measurements and units can ruin quite a lot...

      Thank you so much!

      Manu

      Reply
    10. Marlene

      May 28, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      Four generations of my family have made this cake. For the ones who don't like raisins I make one without raisins and one with. I have never tried it with the salted caramel icing but will definitely try it.

      Reply
    11. joanne

      May 28, 2018 at 2:52 pm

      im in the uk, what kind of flour do you use pls. thanks x

      Reply
    12. MaryAnn Gripp

      May 25, 2018 at 7:23 am

      Sounds great...how do you think this would turn out as a 'poke cake ...holes punched in the top of cake before icing ?

      Reply
    13. Norma

      May 24, 2018 at 5:34 pm

      Looks good I especially want make the icing yummy

      Reply
    14. Kim

      April 15, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      I actually made the cake from ChinDeep because I wasn't sure my husband would like the raisins, but I made the caramel from this site. It tastes so good! I haven't tried the cake yet, but even if that's a bust, I could still be happy by just eating the caramel. 😛 Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    15. Ray Fundora

      April 11, 2018 at 5:46 pm

      I’m going to try this, but the directions say a 9x9 pan, however the pan in the video doesn’t look 9x9. It seems like a 9x13. Please advise.

      Reply
    16. Joe Langdon

      August 16, 2017 at 7:41 pm

      You say to stir in the raisins and nuts, but didn't say what kind on nuts. I'm guessing chopped pecans, maybe.

      Reply
    17. animefreak.tv

      August 12, 2017 at 2:02 am

      My brother suggested I might like this website. He was entirely right.
      This put up truly made my day. You cann't believe just how much time I had spent
      for this info! Thank you!

      Reply
    18. becky naibert

      July 17, 2017 at 8:27 am

      ben, it's been awhile, i'm Terri Roseman's mom. So funny, I was talking with one of my girlfriends and she was recalling a tomato soup cake recipe from childhood, but didn't have the recipe just remembered everyone loved it. Then today, i'm on facebook and see your post. Kind of spooky... Anywho, hope you are doing well. Terri said you were back in Barcelona with Ricardo. Say hi to Ricardo for me. I will try this recipe, just gotta. I dont' know if you have Tomato pie recipe in your list, I think that's where this conversation came from. I just made a tomato pie this past weekend, saw it in a cookbook and then in a magazine, just had to try it. You should if you haven't tried it before, delicious and simple.

      Reply
    19. Melissa

      July 16, 2017 at 4:24 pm

      5 stars
      So happy you enjoyed my recipe! I love your addition of salted caramel! Genius!

      XOXO,
      ~M

      Reply

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    Chef Ben Rayl

    Hi, I'm Ben!

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