Romance novelist Diana Cosby (profiled in the July/August issue) visited the Texoma Living! Magazine offices recently. Like any good Southern lady in training, this former Yankee brought food.
Diana is an avid cook and baker. Admittedly, when she announced that the plate held a “tomato soup cake,” I had second thoughts. But any reluctance to taste this magnificent creation disappeared on first bite. I would compare the taste to an old fashioned spice cake and honestly, there is no hint of tomato, to my taste. The canned soup ingredient results in a very moist consistency.
“I add a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon in the frosting,” said Cosby. The 2009 Booksellers Best Finalist is the author of His Captive/Alexander MacGruder and His Woman/Duncan MacGruder with more tales from medieval Scotland on the way.
Tomato Soup Cake
Ingredients
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
Directions
Combine the tomato soup and the soda in a bowl, and let it stand. Cream sugar, egg, butter, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix in tomato soup and soda mixture, and then flour. Stir in the raisins, and pour the batter in a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until done. Cool the cake, and top with cream cheese icing.