This month I am hosting Turquoise Lemons’ No Waste Food Challenge, where each month we’re asked to share recipes which use up leftovers in a bid to reduce food waste. I chose mashed potatoes, as I always make far too much. Fellow food blogger Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog replied to my initial announcement of this month’s theme saying she had a chocolate cake recipe that uses mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes in a chocolate cake?! The notion had never even crossed my mind! I had to browse the Internet for recipes to try. Mashed potatoes in a chocolate cake, honestly…! I found this Idaho Potato Cake which looked and sounded tasty, but large, so I halved the recipe and adapted it slightly. I used some naturally flavoured pistachio cocoa powder sent to me by Sugar and Crumbs to sample and topped the cake with a chocolate pistachio buttercream.
The verdict, according to my family panel of judges: delicious! My daughter (6), who thinks mashed potatoes are the vilest most disgusting food ever, had seconds, even after she knew there were potatoes in it! The cake was rich and moist yet dense and fluffy at the same time. The skewer inserted at the end of cooking came out clean, so I think it was cooked enough, but the texture was like a brownie as there wasn’t a lot of rise. I’m not sure it should even be called a cake as it is more like a torte or brownie.
Now, if you don’t try this recipe, one thing I do suggest you try is the chocolate fudge buttercream using regular cocoa powder. This recipe was given to me by the head cook at a Canadian children’s camp I worked at in my teens and it is The Best Chocolate Fudge Buttercream Ever! I used to make it by the gianormous bowlful to frost cakes and brownies with at the camp. You’ll want to lick the spoon, I promise.
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp butter, softened (divided)
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup cold mashed potatoes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, divided
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp pistachio flavoured cocoa powder (divided)
- 1/2 cup full fat milk
- 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 1 tbsp pistachio nuts, chopped
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: Serves 8-12
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
Ursula Hunt says
May 24, 2015 at 1:43 pmThis looks really delicious
Debbie Skerten says
November 12, 2014 at 6:00 pmI’ve heard of mashed potato in cake, but been too nervous to try it, but your review sounds great, so I must give it a try x
Farhana says
November 11, 2014 at 8:20 amMy fav ingredients in this so drooling here 😀
brenda heads says
August 12, 2014 at 5:53 pmI have book marked this page and will try the cake sometime over the summer holidays. It sounds delicious.
Beck Willis says
January 7, 2013 at 9:06 amThis is very inventive indeed, one way of getting kids to eat mash potato!
Julia says
January 5, 2013 at 8:08 pmI’ve pinned this – next time we have mash!
Jean says
January 5, 2013 at 5:28 pmThat cake looks gorgeous, in a seriously chocolately sort of way !! I love torte-like cakes and I bet this one would work well as a gluten free recipe, using the right kind of flour……I might give that a try for my coeliac friend. Thanks for the recipe !!
My Golden Pear says
January 4, 2013 at 10:36 pmThat slice of cake looks so good. I’ve never heard of mashed potato in a cake before.
Elizabeth says
January 4, 2013 at 10:48 pmMe neither, that’s why I was eager to try it. It really does work!
Choclette says
January 4, 2013 at 9:35 pmHa ha, you’ve beaten me too it Elizabeth. Your cake looks wonderful. I’m a big fan of dense cakes, so I suspect I’d be digging in for seconds too – given half a chance!
What did you think of the sugar and crumbs flavoured cocoa powder? I’m still undecided as to whether I should try some or not.
Elizabeth says
January 4, 2013 at 9:47 pmI had leftover potatoes needing used up (the ones seen in the No Waste Food Challenge photo for this month!). 🙂 I’ve liked the flavoured cocoa powders so far but I’ve only tried the cherry and pistachio. I still have a chilli one to try. Cherry has been my favourite so far, it has a lovely cherry taste to it.