The chemistry of tomato soup cake
In today's world, where cakes often come from boxed mixes and dairy products are readily available at local grocery stores, it's easy to overlook the fact that baking relies on fundamental principles of high school chemistry. For a cake to rise, a chemical reaction is essential. Spice cake, also known as tomato soup cake, is a type of quick bread that requires baking soda.
When baking soda is properly activated, it produces carbon dioxide bubbles within the cake, leading to its rise. The activation of baking soda requires an acid. In this case, vinegar or buttermilk can be used, but a tomato-based ingredient works just as well. The acids present in tomatoes serve as a substitute for buttermilk or vinegar.
Moreover, tomatoes do more than just provide acidity. Ingredients like eggs and milk contribute to the structure of a cake and add moisture to the batter. In their absence, home bakers often turn to alternatives like applesauce. Both apples and tomatoes contain pectin, which helps stabilize the ingredients, allowing them to bind together and giving the cake its structure. Without such components, the result is a flat cake. This is a clear example of basic chemistry at work, even if the original creators of the cake may not have understood the science behind it. They simply knew it worked and that the cake was delicious.
The evolution of the recipe
According to Campbell's Company, the earliest known recipe for tomato soup cake was found in an undated cookbook from the 1920s, although the version from the 1940s is considered the "official" recipe by Campbell's. Originally called "Steamed Fruit & Nut Pudding," it featured sweet spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, along with figs. The surprise ingredient was tomato soup. Given that it was a spice cake, it’s not surprising that a Halloween-themed variation emerged just two years later.
By the early 1950s, a chocolate variant of the cake was introduced, which also included tomato soup. This quirky recipe fit right in with the unusual culinary trends of the 1950s, such as Jello salad with shrimp. Today, people still create their own versions of tomato soup cake, especially now that shortages of eggs, milk, and butter have mostly ended. Modern adaptations often feature rich frostings made from cream cheese and sugar, another ingredient that appeared on early 20th-century ration lists.
As for why people continue to bake this cake despite not needing to, nostalgia and a yearning for simpler times may play a role. Many people keep tomato soup in their pantries because it pairs perfectly with grilled cheese sandwiches or serves as a key ingredient in traditional spice cake.
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