Tomato soup in a cake?!

Gut reaction: tomato soup in a cake sounds revolting. But as Joy points out (Mystery Cake, p. 721), tomatoes are, after all, a fruit. Haven't we all enjoyed an applesauce cake or pumpkin loaf? Even veggies in baked goods can be all right, if masked with enough sugar and maybe chocolate chips (think zucchini bread).

I threw together this cake with nobody home, so taste buds wouldn't be prejudiced with the sight of that condensed cream of tomato soup slurping out of the can. Joy suggests baking the cake in a 9-inch square baking pan, a direction I would recommend following. I tried using a round cake pan and that lengthened the baking time and probably resulted in a denser cake. Still, this moist cake, with nuts and raisins and spices, tasted like a good spice cake, albeit one with a slightly orange tinge. And, once the cake had passed my 6-year-old lips, it was fun to reveal the mysterious ingredient. -- Debra