Mystery Cake
Updated August 14, 2016
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 10 ¾-ounce can condensed tomato soup
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup raisins
Confectioners sugar, optional
Cooking-oil spray for greasing pan
FOR THE FROSTING (OPTIONAL)
8 ounces cream cheese, chilled
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
Grated lemon or orange zest, ground
cinnamon or any liqueur to taste, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
114 grams carbs; 67 milligrams cholesterol; 802 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 37 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 509 milligrams sodium; 9 grams protein; 81 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
- Step 2
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until well-combined, 3 to 5 minutes. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the tomato soup in 2 parts. Fold in the nuts and raisins. Spread the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack.
- Step 3
If you choose to make the frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and mix until just smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too stiff, beat for a few seconds longer, being careful not to overbeat it. If you choose, stir in the zest, cinnamon or liqueur.
- Step 4
To serve, remove the cake from the pan and either sprinkle with powdered sugar or cover with the frosting.
Private Notes
Comments
No to the stewed tomatoes. This recipe is incredibly delicious just as it is, maybe one of the tastiest cakes ever. Yuppify something else, and coming from a Vermont granola-head that is tough love, Leah.
I just read through the 24 comments on this recipe and I have this advice for those people who are concerned about the caloric load: Stick to celery. No need to spoil dessert for the rest of us.
The earliest version as far as I have researched, was from"Requested Recipes," Marian Manners, Los Angeles Times, November 28, 1932 (p. A6). Her recipe used Four tablespoonfuls butter, one cupful sugar, one can tomato soup, one teaspoonful soda, two cupfuls cake flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder. one-half teaspoonful salt, one teaspoonful cinnamon, three-four teaspoonful cloves, three-fourths teaspoonful allspice, one-half cupful seedless raisins, one-half cupful nut meats.
Looking at this recipe reminded me of a problem of "shrinkflation" I had recently. I was making a recipe for cookies that use a cake mix for the crumb base. I was puzzled by the lack of sufficient crumbs for the base when I had saved a cup of crumbs for the topping. Then I realized that I was using a recipe from 30 years ago, when the size of the box of mix was 4 or so ounces larger. I am trusting the Times to have caught this possible problem and made the necessary adjustments.
I made this for a friend’s birthday dinner. I am glad I made it early in the day because it was awful. I carefully followed the recipe. When I took it from the oven, I was concerned because it did not look like a cake. It is difficult to describe, but the top of the cake reminded me of bread crust. I tasted it and was not happy. I asked my taste tester (my husband) to taste. He said it tasted like like mulch! I through the cake out and started over. I made a delicious applesauce cake instead.
Back in the hippie days we baked this in a coffee can. No icing. Easy and good. The tomato soup doesn't add much flavor, but does contribute to the rich color and the texture. My kids liked it, too.