Have you ever tried a chocolate potato cake? If not, you’re in for a real treat! This dessert combines rich chocolate flavors with mashed potatoes. It creates a unique indulgence that’s light and fluffy and will please any crowd. Read on for my moist and flavorful chocolate potato cake. It’s sure to have everyone asking for seconds.
Why I Love This Recipe
I love using unique ingredients to add nutrition to my desserts. Some of my favorites are this moist zucchini cake, rhubarb breakfast cake, or even these black bean brownies.
I’m guessing quite a few of you did a double-take at the title of this recipe! Could chocolate and potatoes ever combine into something worth eating? Absolutely!
In fact, a hundred years ago, potatoes were regularly used in baking of all sorts – sweet and savory.
Potatoes work well in baked goods because of their high starch content. They are almost entirely made of starch and water, meaning they give this cake a great structure while keeping it moist and light, perfect for pairing with a dollop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
It’s hard to think of a more delicious use for leftover mashed potatoes – just make sure you reserve them before you add any milk, butter, or garlic!
What Is Chocolate Potato Cake
The chocolate potato cake’s roots date back to 1912 in Ireland. Potatoes have been a key food in Irish cuisine for centuries and were a staple for many families.
Adding chocolate to potato cakes started in the early 1900s because chocolate became more common in homes. The mix of potatoes and chocolate quickly became a favorite dessert.
Today, the chocolate potato cake is enjoyed around the globe, mimicking the creative spirit of Irish cooking.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Potato Cake
Baking the perfect chocolate potato cake is all about paying attention to the details. To make sure your cake turns out moist, flavorful, and irresistible, follow these helpful tips:
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients – Allowing your butter, eggs, and other components to come to room temperature before mixing will help create a smooth, even batter.
- Preheat Your Oven – This will allow even cooking and prevent the cake recipe from sticking to ensure an easy release once baked.
- Check for Doneness – Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to check for doneness. When the toothpick comes out clean, your chocolate potato cake is ready.
- Cool Completely – Let the cooled cake sit for at least 30 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar or adding any frostings or toppings. This allows the cake to set properly.
- Use Quality Ingredients – For the best flavor, use high-quality butter and sugar in your batter. The better the ingredients, the more delicious your potato cake will be.
In the Homestead Kitchen
This recipe was featured in issue No. 24 of In the Homestead Kitchen Magazine – Potatoes. If you’d like access to more recipes like this, subscribe today.
This beautifully designed monthly digital magazine is packed full of cream-of-the-crop homesteading information, including from-scratch recipes, DIY tutorials, food preservation instructions, homesteading hacks, book reviews, gardening tips, and more.
If you prefer a physical copy, you’re in luck! We’re planning on taking this magazine to print in January 2025, so subscribe today to lock in your low price!
Chocolate Potato Cake Recipe
Supplies Needed
- Stand Mixer w/Bowl – I love my Bosch mixer, but a hand mixer with a large mixing bowl also works.
- Mixing Bowl – You will need an additional mixing bowl to sift together your dry ingredients.
- Sifter – If you don’t have a sifter, just make sure you mix your dry ingredients thoroughly before incorporating them into your wet ingredients. Using a whisk helps break up any large clumps.
- Spatula – These silicone spatulas work great for folding in the nuts (optional) and scraping every last drop of batter into your cake pans.
- Cake Pans – This recipe makes two 9” rounds or one 9”x13” rectangle.
- Parchment Paper – Parchment paper works best, but if you don’t have any, just grease and flour your pans to prevent sticking.
- Cooling Racks – Your cake will need to cool completely before serving.
Ingredients Needed
- 1 Cup Butter – We enjoy using our homemade butter, but you can also use high-quality butter from the store. Make sure your butter is at room temperature.
- 2 Cups Sugar – Granulated sugar, unrefined evaporated cane juice, sucanat, or rapadura works well, but using a liquid sweetener such as honey or maple syrup won’t yield the same results.
- 2 Eggs – Always use best practices when handling farm fresh eggs.
- 1 Cup Mashed Potatoes – Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes work best. Make sure your potatoes are cooled to room temperature and do not have any milk, butter, or seasonings added.
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract – I typically use a vanilla bean paste, but a high-quality vanilla extract works great, too.
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour – To make a gluten-free potato cake, you can substitute your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- 1⁄2 Cup Cocoa Powder – Choose a Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor or a high-quality organic cocoa powder.
- 1 tsp Baking Soda – Did you know that baking soda has a variety of other uses beyond baking? Check out these household uses for baking soda.
- 1 Cup Whole Milk – Always use best practices for processing raw milk at home.
- 1 Cup of Chopped Nuts – Chopped nuts are optional. Walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts are all good choices.
- Toppings of Choice – This cake is delicious as is, but if desired, you can serve it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, a dusting of powdered sugar, or your favorite icing.
How to Make Chocolate Potato Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Beat in mashed potato and vanilla.
- In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
- Alternating, add half of the dry ingredients and then half of the milk, beating to combine between additions and repeating until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Spread batter evenly between two 9” round cake pans (or one 9″x13″ rectangular pan) that have been greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
- Cool pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing the cake to wire racks to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
- Serve topped with whipped cream, a dusting of powdered sugar, or fresh fruit, or stack in layers and ice with icing of choice.
FAQ’s
Chocolate potato cake is a unique dessert that combines chocolate’s rich flavor with mashed potatoes. This combination creates a moist, indulgent cake unlike any other. The potatoes add sweetness and a special texture, while the chocolate gives it a deep, satisfying taste.
This cake’s roots go back to the early 1900s in Ireland. Potatoes were a key crop there, and Irish cuisine often included potato cakes. Adding chocolate to these cakes started in the early 1900s when chocolate became more common in homes.
Choose starchy potatoes like Russet or Yukon Gold for the best results. They have more moisture, making the cake light and fluffy. Make sure to boil or steam the potatoes until they’re tender for the right consistency.
Once cooled, your cake is ready to enjoy. You can serve it plain or with powdered sugar and whipped cream. It’s perfect with coffee or tea, making it a delightful treat anytime.
Other Posts You May Enjoy
- Delicious & Moist Zucchini Cake Recipe
- Rhubarb Breakfast Cake Recipe
- Delicious Black Bean Brownie Recipe
- Nantucket Cranberry Pie Recipe
- Quick & Easy Cobbler Recipe (DIY Cobbler Mix)
- Easy Apple Brown Betty Recipe | Old-Fashioned Dessert
- Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Chocolate Potato Cake
Equipment
- Stand Mixer w/ Bowl
- Mixing Bowl
- Sifter
- spatula
- Cake Pans
- parchment paper
- Cooling Racks
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed potatoes
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup chopped nuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Beat in mashed potato and vanilla.
- In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
- Alternating, add half of the dry ingredients and then half of the milk, beating to combine between additions and repeating until all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Spread batter evenly between two 9” round cake pans (or one 9″x13″ rectangular pan) that have been greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
- Cool pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing the cake to wire racks to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
- Serve topped with whipped cream, a dusting of powdered sugar, or fresh fruit, or stack in layers and ice with icing of choice.
Notes
Tips for the Best Chocolate Potato Cake
Baking the perfect chocolate potato cake is all about paying attention to the details. To make sure your cake turns out moist, flavorful, and irresistible, follow these helpful tips:- Use Room Temperature Ingredients – Allowing your butter, eggs, and other components to come to room temperature before mixing will help create a smooth, even batter.
- Preheat Your Oven – This will allow even cooking and prevent the cake recipe from sticking to ensure an easy release once baked.
- Check for Doneness – Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to check for doneness. When the toothpick comes out clean, your chocolate potato cake is ready.
- Cool Completely – Let the cooled cake sit for at least 30 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar or adding any frostings or toppings. This allows the cake to set properly.
- Use Quality Ingredients – For the best flavor, use high-quality butter and sugar in your batter. The better the ingredients, the more delicious your potato cake will be.
