“I have found that sitting in a place where you have never sat before can be inspiring.” ~ Dodie Smith
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
Last week was our son’s birthday, which was also spring break. He and his family spent it looking at Lake Superior in Grand Marais, while his wife took an awesome spoon carving class from a master spoon carver from England at the North House Folk School. So we celebrated his birthday this week. When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he said “Tomato Soup Cake”… what??? None of us had heard of it before, but it made all of us smile. Evidently a recipe was even printed on the Campbell’s tomato soup can in the 1950s! It was fun making it… I felt like I was baking in an era of low rations. Eating it was not as fun for me… I won’t be making it again, but am glad I did it once. Our grandson said he would eat it and took it home!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
The original recipe on the soup can called for 1 tablespoon lard and 1 tablespoon butter to cream with 1 cup sugar. I made “Magic Tomato Soup Cake” which didn’t have any lard. It didn’t have any eggs, either… the strangest cake I have ever made. I thought the spices were overpowering. After taking one bite, everyone asked for ice cream to go with it! It called for cake flour, to be sifted three times… I only sifted it twice… maybe that is why it didn’t taste so good!
MAGIC TOMATO SOUP CAKE
CAKE
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 can (10 ounces) tomato soup
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Cream butter and sugar well
- Sift flour; measure; resift 3 times with spices, salt
- Alternately add dry ingredients with soup-soda mixture
- Pour into greased loaf pan (size is important: about 8 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 – 1 pound loaf size)
- Bake 50-60 minutes until cake tester comes out clean
- If you want to frost the cake, let it cool completely first
FROSTING
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 cups powdered confectioner’s sugar
- 2 ounces bitter chocolate, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Mash cheese. Add milk gradually, beating till blended. Add sugar gradually, beating till smooth. Add melted chocolate, salt, vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com
