1 box (400g) Ready-to-bake refrigerated pie crusts
½ cup cherry pie filling, or strawberry jam
Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Food Gel colouring, optional
Sprinkles, optional
Method
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
On a parchment-lined or lightly floured work surface, unroll one sheet of pie crust. Cut the pie crust into 10 hearts using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place the hearts on the prepared baking sheet
On the same work surface, unroll the other sheet of pie crust and cut it into 10 hearts using the same heart-shaped cookie cutter
Spread 1/2 teaspoon filling, or jam, in the centre of each heart that is on the baking sheet, leaving about 1/4-inch around the edge
Place another heart-shaped crust evenly on top of each jam-topped heart. Press the edges down with your fingers all around the heart and then use a fork to crimp and seal the edges
Bake for 15 minutes or until light brown around the edges
Meanwhile, make the frosting by combing the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Stir until you have a spreadable consistency, adding a small amount of extra milk if required. The frosting can be left white, or coloured using gel colouring
Remove the pop tarts from the oven and let cool on a rack before finishing
Frost the centre of each pop tart with desired coloured frosting. Alternatively place the frosting in a piping bag, snip the end off and drizzle over the cooled pop tarts
Let’s just file this under “Oddly Delicious” shall we? Harking from the same recipe-pivoting era as Chocolate Vinegar Cake this wonderfully moist spiced cake was originally the gimmick of the well known convenience food giant Campbells. Appealing to thrifty housewives who had to pivot due to ever increasing rationing restrictions on ingredients this is a left of center approach to the seminal favorite carrot cake. The use of tomato soup is really based much more in texture and color as opposed taste, being barely perceptible on the palette. The bright red of the original soup altering to a pleasing dark amber, evocative of Autumnal evenings. In fact the whole package of this deliciously warm spiced cake could easily replace any demand for pumpkin laced bakes in my books.
The original recipe for this proved popular throughout the ages, from it’s origins in the ’20s right through to the ’70s, reaching it’s peak in the 1950s with the recipe regular featuring on the reverse of soup cans. The prominence of convenience foods in the 50s and 60s called for the use of boxed spice cake mix as the main ingredient coupled with the tomato soup. Here I’ve tweaked the original recipe using traditional cake ingredients (sans box mix!) and added in some plump, soaked golden raisins and toasted walnuts for a bit more bite.
Research on this cake will lead you to it in it’s various forms. Vintage published recipes show a loaf-type cake with chocolate frosting, later appearing as a round layer cake with cream cheese frosting. I’ve settled on letting the uniqueness of the cake itself shine through as a Bundt, finished with a simple but ample dusting of powdered sugar. All in all this cake provides a delicious bite of retro-tastiness which is a worthy replacement for any run-of-the-mill coffee cake.
Combine the golden raisins and tea in a small bowl and steep for 15 mins
Prepare an 8-cup bundt pan with baking spray
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease
Add the condensed tomato soup (DON’T add water) to a bowl and stir in the baking soda (it will puff up a bit). Set aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients
Add the sugar and butter to a mixer bowl and beat with paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
Add n the vanilla extract, and then beat in the eggs, one at a time until just mixed
Mix in the tomato soup. (Note: it might ‘split’ slightly but don’t worry, it will come together with the flour)
Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices, then add the golden raisins (drained) and toasted walnuts. Gently fold to combine with a wooden spoon, or spatula. Don’t overmix, but ensure no streaks of flour remain
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for in preheated oven for 35 minutes, after this time reduce the heat to 325°F and bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely
Once fully cool, dust liberally with powdered sugar
Crumbs In My Beard 