MAMA’S TOMATO SPICE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Prep Time: 1½ Hours
Yields: 6-8 Servings

Comment:
Can you imagine condensed tomato soup in a dessert recipe? I can, and I love these little surprises when cooking. The tomato will not only add color to the cake, but will be an interesting topic for the discussion over cake and coffee.

Ingredients for Cake:
1 (10¾-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
¾ cup Crisco® shortening
1¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup cold water
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice or ground cloves
½ cup walnuts

Method for Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In bowl of an electric mixer, cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs, beating well then set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix tomato soup, water and baking soda. Set aside. In a second large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice. Add 1 cup of dry ingredients to shortening mixture, beating well to combine. Add 1 cup of soup mixture to shortening mixture, beating to mix well. Repeat this alternating process until all ingredients have been combined, making sure to mix well after each addition. Stir in walnuts then pour batter into a greased bundt pan. Bake 55 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and set aside to cool 1 hour. Turn cake out onto a wire rack and cover with cream cheese frosting (see below).

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup cream cheese
1½ cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method for Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat well until light and fluffy. Frost cake and enjoy.