KIND-HEARTED cooks created some unusual culinary masterpieces, including tomato soup cake, to raise money for a cancer charity.

Darlington coffee shop Golden Brown held a cake competition in aid of Cancer Research, with a chef from North Yorkshire hotel Crathorne Hall helping to judge the efforts of the eight entrants.

The competition raised £55 for the charity and will become a bi-annual event at the Houndgate cafe.

The winner, who did not want to be named, impressed judges with a boiled chocolate and raisin cake and donated the prize of a night's stay at the hotel, with breakfast and afternoon tea, back to the cafe, so it could be raffled to raise more money for the charity.

The cakes entered in the competition were also raffled to raise money.

Runner-up Joanne Wardell made a tomato soup cake, which has similar flavours to a carrot cake.

Neil Robson, who runs the cafe with his wife, Helen, said the competition had been fun and raised money for a good cause, with baking of a very high standard.

"All of the winners of the cakes in the raffle were delighted with the cakes they took home, " he said.

"Next time, we are hoping to get some younger bakers involved in a cup cake competition."