Tomato soup as an ingredient to a sweet & delicious cake? Don’t write it off quite yet, it actually has a long history and it’s still going strong today.
A delicious beginning
The Tomato Soup Spice Cake first appeared in an undated cookbook from approximately the late 1920’s or early 1930’s, but our first official records begin in October 1940 with the development of a recipe called Steamed Fruit & Nut Pudding. It was a classic steamed pudding spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, as well as the secret ingredient of Campbell’s® Condensed Tomato soup.
In September of 1942, the cake was modified to a Halloween Spice Cake, which removed the fruit from the original recipe and added fun, decorative Halloween faces to the frosting.
Perfecting the recipe
From 1950 to 1966, many different tweaks to the recipe were published in Campbell’s cookbooks. Different kinds of flour, different oven temperatures, more and fewer eggs, as well as more and less water were all tested out in an effort to perfect the texture of the cake.
Finally, in 1966, experiment #38 met success, and the recipe was adapted to use in many cake mixes that were popular at the time.
Campbell’s continued to evolve the recipe with trends in the culinary world, from offering a Bundt cake version made with Gingerbread Mix, holiday fruitcakes and a recipe which used Campbell’s Low Sodium Tomato soup.
In 2003, we proudly served a Tomato Soup Ginger Cake blasted with walnut flakes at a dinner during the annual conference of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
The legend lives on
More than a century after its debut, Campbell’s Tomato Soup Cake is still finding new audiences — most recently on TikTok.
Tomato Soup Cake goes viral on TikTok in 2026
In spring 2026, Campbell’s Tomato Soup Cake had a viral resurgence on TikTok, as home bakers and food creators rediscovered the century-old recipe and shared their takes with millions of viewers. The social buzz caught the attention of TODAY’s Jenna & Sheinelle, who featured it as part of the show’s “Buzzy Bites” segment, and Food & Wine, which traced the 100-year history of the cake.
A recipe that keeps evolving
The recipe has taken many forms over the years at Campbell’s, from Glazed Carrot Raisin cupcakes to a Ginger Spice Cheesecake and a “Secret Ingredient” Sweet Potato Pie.
In 1949, the recipe appeared in the New York Times, and in 1960 it became the first recipe ever printed on a Campbell’s soup label. While it’s no longer on the label, Tomato Soup Cake remains one of the most-requested recipes in Campbell’s Kitchen history — and, more than 75 years after its NYT debut, it’s finding a whole new generation of bakers online.
Easy Tomato Soup Spice Cake
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Serves: 16 people
Calories: 384 per serving
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk (amount divided in recipe steps below)
- 1 can (10.75 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Tomato Soup
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 package (16 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Step 1
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch pan or two 8-inch round pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves in a large bowl.
Step 2
Beat butter and granulated sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in 1/4 cup milk and tomato soup, then add flour mixture and beat on low just until combined. Pour into prepared pan(s).
Step 3
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan(s) on wire racks for 20 minutes.
Step 4
Beat the remaining 1/4 cup milk, cream cheese, and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar until smooth and spreadable. Frost the cake, top with walnuts if desired, and refrigerate until serving.