This homemade green tomato cake with cream cheese frosting has 4 cups of GREEN tomatoes in it! That’s right – I said green tomatoes. I know it sounds strange, but you have to try this cake recipe. It tastes just like a spice cake and is incredibly moist. Plus, it has vegetables in it, so in my mind, it’s a healthier version of cake.
Why Pick Your Green Tomatoes?
When temperatures drop below freezing, your tomato plants will become stunted and the tomatoes will stop growing. Even temperatures below 50F your tomato plant will start to show problems. Before the first frost of the season, we pick all the tomatoes in their varying degrees of ripeness.
Green tomatoes will eventually start to ripen indoors, but I don’t think they taste quite like vine-ripened tomatoes. There are still plenty of recipes you can prepare with green tomatoes, like fried green tomatoes, tomato soup or this incredible spice cake. Whatever you do, don’t waste those green tomatoes!
Frosting the Green Tomato Cake
This green tomato cake is incredible with our simple 3-ingredient homemade cream cheese frosting recipe. If you have a stand mixer, this frosting is quick and easy to make. You can also use a store-bought frosting if you want to simplify the recipe. Either way, make sure to cool the cake completely before frosting and refrigerate any leftovers (if there are any).
If you have a bumper crop and find yourself with extra tomatoes, zucchini or cucumbers, try one of these 20 bumper crop recipes. It’s a great way to use up all the garden produce in the fall. If you love fall desserts, check out these 12 amazing fall dessert recipes.
Green Tomato Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 cups chopped green tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional
Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temp
- 8 oz cream cheese room temp
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Place tomatoes in bowl and cover with salt for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse well.
- Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time. Beat until creamy. Add dry ingredients and nuts. Fold in tomatoes.
- Pour into greased 13×9 pan. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Cream together butter and cream cheese. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until your desired frosting consistency.
- Frost cake when it is cooled. Store leftovers in fridge.
Nicole is the founder of this website and mom of 3 kids, including a teenager. She cooks simple meals, follows a budget, clips coupons, and enjoys helping others ‘live well on less’. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
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Delicious cake, very rich and heavy!!! I did make mine in layers and altered the recipe a little. All in all this is worth making and having with a cup of coffee. I would recommend if you are not into sweet sweet sweet cakes (smile) cut your slice small. I will make a couple of changes next time but this is a good cake. Also people who are new to baking in the ingredients where it is listed 1 tsp cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg that does not mean you add additional cloves and nutmeg that is 1 tsp each. Nicole thank you for sharing that is a delicious cake and I will make it again.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! it sounds heavenly with a cup of coffee.
Not sure…if supposed to put cut tomatoes in salt then rinse, then not much will be left of tomatoes. Can you please clarify. Thank you so much. I have lot of tomatoes so want to try this receipe
Yes. You dice the tomatoes first, cover in salt for 15 minutes, then rinse. This will draw out the moisture in the tomatoes and make it suitable for baking. Enjoy the recipe. It’s one of our favorites!
Should the green tomatoes be peeled before dicing and using in the cake.
No need to peel the tomatoes! Just dice them up.