People Are Making Tomato Soup Cake (Really)

“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” When journalist Miles Kingston dropped this quotable line, he probably didn’t imagine it being used to introduce a bunch of TikTokers making cake with condensed tomato soup. Maybe because he wrote it more than a decade prior to TikTok’s creation and maybe because, well, who could have predicted that dumping Campbells’ cream of tomato into a cake would be a thing? Actually, probably your grandparents. 

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That’s right, grandpappy’s walks uphill to school both ways may have been fueled by tomato soup cake. The early 1900’s recipe may sound a little off-the-wall, but its recent resurgence on social media may not be completely unfounded.

What is tomato soup cake?

Despite your efforts to convince yourself that it has to be a misnomer, the tomato soup cake is, in fact, a cake made with tomato soup. Yes, it’s supposed to be sweet. Yes, it’s the same tomato soup you love to pair with your grilled cheese. No, it’s not as weird as it sounds. 

According to Atlas Obscura, the cake was popular in the Great Depression because a can of tomato soup could functionally replace more expensive ingredients like eggs and butter. More modern versions of the recipe may have reincorporated those ingredients, but the heart of the dish is still that sweet, sweet tomato blob, some warming spices, and your need to trust the process.   

A brief history of the tomato soup cake

Campbell’s put together a little timeline of the curious dessert, which shares that the first published recipe was from the 1920s, though it was in an unnamed, undated cookbook. The company’s first recipe to something similar to (though not quite the same as) our idea of a tomato soup cake was from 1942. It was for a steamed, spiced pudding with fruit, nuts, and, of course, Campbell’s condensed tomato soup.

These days, you can find all sorts of variations of recipes online, from scratch-made to shortcut versions, on recipe blogs, and social media alike. This is in part because of creators like Rachel (of @eatsbyrachel), Joshua Godfrey and his momma, Michael Averett, and Dylan Hollis, who have helped popularize the cake.

Does it taste good?

We understand the skepticism, but remember: sugar and warm spices can hide a multitude of sins. A lot of people have been pleasantly surprised, saying that the cake tastes similar to pumpkin bread. For those that are worried about the very faint tomato aftertaste, that’s nothing a little cream cheese frosting can’t fix.