SWEET ENDING

This recipe dates back to the Great Depression of the 1930s, when eggs and butter were scarce and expensive — quite apt for the economic situation SA is facing. This cake was featured recently in the TV series, Dinner Dash with Hilary Biller, currently on the

Home Channel (DStv channel 176). Following the many requests for the recipe, here it is. Strange, but true, the tomato soup works like a charm, not leaving a tomato aftertaste. The cake is similar to a carrot cake, minus the carrots, of course.

TOMATO SOUP SPICE CAKE

60ml (¼ cup) butter or baking margarine

200g (1 cup) sugar

1 extra-large egg, well beaten

250ml (1 cup) of a 400g can of condensed tomato soup

5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda

125ml (½ cup) buttermilk, or plain yoghurt

210g (1 ¾ cups) cake flour

2.5ml (½ tsp) baking powder

5ml (1 tsp) ground cloves

5ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

5ml (1 tsp) ground ginger

125ml (½ cup) raisins

125ml (½ cup) pecan nuts, chopped

Butterscotch icing:

60ml (¼ cup) butter or baking margarine

125ml (½ cup) light brown sugar

60ml (¼ cup) fresh cream

200g (1 cup) icing sugar, sifted

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and mix well. Combine the tomato soup and bicarbonate of soda and set aside to foam. Add the soup and buttermilk to the butter mixture. It will look quite curdled when you mix it. Sift the flour, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl and add to the soup mixture with the raisins and nuts. Beat for a minute and spoon into a greased or sprayed ring pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. For the icing, combine the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is golden brown. Stir in the cream. Remove from the heat and beat in the icing sugar. Allow to cool before spreading on the cake.