Green Tomato Spice Cake

Sometimes what you don't know can't hurt you especially when it's about a Green Tomato Spice Cake!  Just don't tell them what's in it until they taste it.

David has a little greenhouse at the end of his garden where he grew sweet little cherry tomatoes.  Are they ever delicious!  I've been eating them by the bowlful while I'm visiting.  But the season is coming to a close with frost warnings almost every night.   

He still has quite a crop of the small tomatoes left and was anxious the frost would eventually get the green tomatoes that hadn't ripened.  When he asked me what we could make with the green tomatoes. I immediately thought of the green tomato cake someone had posted on Facebook a few days earlier.  Until I saw that post I never would have thought you could put tomatoes in a cake.  Yes, I know there's Tomato Soup Cake, but real chopped tomatoes would have seemed a bit far fetched to me until I saw that post. 

So when I mentioned to David that green tomatoes can go in cake he seemed receptive to the idea.  It had certainly piqued my interest so I did a little digging around and found there were many recipes that used green tomatoes in one form or another in cake. I eventually settled on this cake from Daily Dish Recipes as it seemed easy enough to make.  I did add a few extra ingredients that I saw in other recipes that would not change the integrity of the original recipe.  You will see if you compare the list of ingredients I added vanilla, raisins and nuts. 

The cake was a hit.  It is similar in texture to a carrot cake  or hummingbird cake and takes well to a layer of cream cheese frosting.  Emily especially liked the side pieces with the crunchy edges.  

Printable recipe at end of post. 

Green Tomato Spice Cake

• 2 cups finely chopped green tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ cup room temperature butter 
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ cup chopped nuts, optional
• ¼ cup raisins, optional

How to make it:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pan spray or grease an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch square baking pan. You may line it with parchment paper as well if you want to easily lift it from the pan.

Place the chopped tomatoes in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Let stand about 15-20 minutes. Drain a colander. Blot with a paper towel if they look wet. (Note:  If the tomatoes have a thick skin you may want to peel them before chopping as the skins may not soften while baking. You may also want to remove some of the seeds.)

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter, oil and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until creamy. Mix the remaining dry ingredients together and stir into the creamed mixture, mixing very well to incorporate all the flour. The batter will be very thick like a cookie dough. Stir in the drained tomatoes (and nuts and raisins, if using) and mix well.

Spread batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

The cake can be cooled and served from the baking pan.  It is not necessary to frost the cake but a thin layer of cream cheese frosting tastes really good.

Makes 1 8-inch or 9-inch square cake.

Chop the tomatoes in very small pieces.  If the skins are tough you may want to peel them first.  There was no way I was peeling cherry tomatoes--way too much work! 😁 If there are lots of seeds you could also seed larger tomatoes.

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with the one tablespoon of sugar. Let sit about 20 minuts. This will draw out the juices.

Drain in a strainer and blot dry with paper toweling if the tomatoes still look wet. 

In a large bowl cream the butter, oil and sugar.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Beat until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

Place the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Mix all the dry ingredients well.  You don't want to bite into a lump of salt or baking soda.

Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.  The batter will be very thick.

When the batter has been mixed, stir in the well drained tomatoes.  I didn't use raisins or nuts in this cake because I wasn't sure if the children would like them. 

Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Perfectly baked with those crunchy edges Emily likes so well.

I frosted half the cake with a cream cheese frosting.  I later frosted the whole cake.

You can see the little pieces of green tomato but you'd never guess that's what they are.  I never told the children what was in the cake.  Sometimes what you don't know, won't hurt you. 

Green Tomato Spice Cake

or 

What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You Cake

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩