Tomato Soup Chocolate Truffles and Cupcake Topping

  tomato soup cupcake topped with chocolate tomato soup ganache

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Tomato Soup or "Mystery Cake";  This odd cake of American origins dates back to at least the 1930's and uses canned tomato soup (usually the iconic Campbell's) as an ingredient. 

Nigella has a version and renowned baker Rose Levy Beranbaum says the tomato soup adds "zing" to the recipe. 

Goodness me... I'm definitely getting "onion/garlic" but I'm not sure about "zing". I'm wondering if Campbell's Tomato Soup is a different formula in Australia??? Grab a can out of your pantry if you're not from Oz and let me know what is in your tomato soup.... 

               ingredient list Campbell's Tomato in Australia

I made Rose Levy Bernbaum's Chocolate Tomato Cake with Mystery Ganache. Now, I do love "Rose" and 'Rose's Heavenly Cakes' is one of favourite cake books, but I don't like this cake at all. My step son Dan and I found at first bite you taste chocolate, but  shortly after an unpleasant aftertaste sets in.

Slightly more successful was the "Mystery ganache" which I used to make truffles, mmmm not sure if I really like them but it does have that fun "what is it" factor. Oh, the truffles would be great for any Warhol themed event too :)

The following is a tweaked version (*almost exactly the same!!) of Rose Levy Bernbaum's Mystery Ganache recipe;

Ingredients 

1/4 cup of Campbell's tomato soup 

1 1/2 cups cream

370 grams (13 oz) dark eating chocolate  

Method

Chop chocolate into small pieces with a serrated knife, alternatively use a food processor taking care not to over process. Transfer chopped chocolate into a heat proof bowl. 

In a saucepan heat cream and tomato soup, stirring once or twice until the mixture just comes to the simmer and small bubbles appear around the edges. 

Pour hot cream mixture over chopped chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes, stir until mixture is smooth. At this stage you can use the chocolate as a glaze cake topping like I have in the cake pictured at top. To do this you can either pour over the liquid ganache or dip the top of cake into it. 

To make simple tomato soup chocolate truffles, refrigerate the chocolate soup mixture until firm enough to roll into balls, then toss the balls in cocoa to coat. Refrigerate until serving time, bring to room temperature for full flavour. 

                       chocolate tomato soup truffles

PS promised Japanese Slipper Cupcake recipe.

Happy Baking :)

* want to try Nigella's tomato soup cake? ... recipe on her official blog here

Update on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 10:13AM by The Lone Baker

Thank you so much to D.J. for replying with the ingredient list from an American can of Campbell's tomato soup....

Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Cottonseed, Canola and/or Soybean)Flavoring, Ascorbic Acid, and Citric Acid. 

No onions/garlic in the US version. Apologies to step son Daniel for making him eat tomato/garlic/onion and chocolate all in the name of recipe testing for me!! 

PS the US soup is going to make a far nicer, albeit not as odd batch of chocolate truffles ;) 

Comments

[D.J.]

Here's the ingredients of the American version Jennifer:
Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste)Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Cottonseed, Canola and/or Soybean)Flavoring, Ascorbic Acid, and Citric Acid.

I can see it would definately make a difference, but your cupcakes are lovely to look at.
Hugs,
D.J.

[The Lone Baker]

Thank you!!!
That makes so much sense now... lol, whilst the onion/garlic combo made for "a different" cupcake ;) it's going make for a so much better cupcake if your using the US Campbell's tomato soup!
xx