A sidewalk cafe in Paris.

“Waiter! Help! There are snails in my food!” shouts a clueless and bewildered American with flaming red hair. “You want me to eat these? I’m supposed to eat them?” Maybe if I had some ketchup.”

This classic clip from a 1956 episode of “I Love Lucy!” shows the mindset most Americans have, that ketchup is good anytime and anywhere.

Even in the 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy” the lead character, Joe Buck, is so down on his luck he eats saltine and ketchup sandwiches.

No matter if its breakfast at a fast-food joint, a picnic in the park or a seafood dinner, ketchup can be used on any culinary item, and it will be tastier.

Below is a recipe for ketchup cake. Its good and tastes like a spice cake. But it’s more of a novelty that it’s made from ketchup.
– Ketchup can be found in 97% of American homes.
– In the 1963 film “The Thrill of it All” Doris Day’s hobby is making ketchup.
– In England ketchup is called sauce.
– Technically, a tomato is considered a fruit, when you put ketchup on onion rings you’re topping your onion with a fruit sauce.
– The ketchup packets found at fast-food joints and stashed away inside your refrigerator door were invented in 1955.
– A serving of ketchup, 1 Tbsp, has 20 calories.
– George Vanderbilt’s insisted several bottles of ketchup be kept on the dining room table at all times because he considered his opulent 250 room mansion (Biltmore) a “country lodge.”

Ketchup Cake

Ingredients:
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 cup Tomato Ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. red food coloring
• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened, divided
• 1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 cups icing sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Grease two 9-inch round cake tins and line the bottoms with baking parchment.

Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and ginger into a bowl.

Stir the Tomato Ketchup, water and coloring in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth.

Beat in the eggs, gradually.

Add the flour mixture and ketchup mixture.

Beat slowly, scraping down the bowl as needed, until combined.

Beat at high speed for 1 minute.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake tins.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the center springs back when touched lightly.

Cool the cakes for 15 minutes before turning onto a rack to cool completely.
Frosting:

Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla for 2 minutes or until smooth.

Gradually beat in the sugar, scraping the bowl as needed.

Beat at high speed until fluffy.