The History of Tomato Soup Cake

Tinned tomato soup was first released by Campbell’s in 1895 and the earliest tomato soup cake recipe dates back to the early 1920s. During the Depression and World War II, traditional baking ingredients like eggs and butter were either unaffordable for most Americans or unavailable due to rationing, so many home bakers turned to tomato soup to create moist, leavened baked goods. These desserts were based on spice cakes, which in turn had their roots in traditional English puddings. In the 1940s, Campbell’s took advantage of the skyrocketing popularity of tomato soup cakes and began releasing their own recipes for desserts made with canned tomato soup, the first of which was Steamed Fruit and Nut Pudding (it called for figs, raisins, and nutmeats, and a can of soup). In 1949, a recipe for tomato soup cake appeared in The New York Times for the first time. As America entered a period of postwar prosperity, tomato soup cakes — once relatively plain in nature and made out of necessity — were gussied up with dairy-rich frosting and other decadent ingredients. Recipes for tomato soup cakes made using convenience foods such as boxed spice cake mix and canned soup were shared widely throughout the 1950s. In 1960, Campbell’s began printing a version of the recipe on the sides of its soup cans. Tomato soup cakes were so popular that 1964’s Joy of Cooking even included a recipe for Mystery Cake, which called for tomato. In the 1960s, Bundt cakes became extremely popular and recipes for tomato soup cakes made in Bundt pans were all the rage. In 1966, a version of the recipe that included cream cheese frosting on top was popularized (and remains one of the most beloved versions of the vintage cake to this day). While tomato soup cake largely faded from the mainstream consciousness for several decades, grocery shortages and social media accounts dedicated to vintage baking have resulted tomato soup cake experiencing a resurgence in recent years.