About this chocolate potato cake. It’s beyond good.
Incredibly moist, sweet and fudgy, it’s mixed in the food processor! And the potato is used raw, so there’s no cooking it and waiting for it to cool. The chocolate peanut butter frosting is just, literally, the icing of this fabulous cake.
The text and images have been updated to serve you better; the recipe remains the same. Originally published on August 2017
The original recipe is made with Idaho potatoes. Are they special? Do they taste different? Creamier? Never seen one, or tasted one; not a clue.
What I do know is that different potatoes make it more or less fudgier. I guess the starch content is different. Or something like that. So make it with your favorite and see how it goes. It will be amazing with any type of potato, but you might see subtle differences.
Easy steps for making this cake:
- Shred raw potato.
- Put all ingredients in the processor, including potato. Mix well.
- Scrape chocolate batter into prepared pan and bake.
- Make the one-bowl peanut butter chocolate frosting.
- Frost top of cooled cake.
- Eat cake with frosting.
About the potato in this recipe.
Since the potato is the guest here, we should talk a bit about it.
The magic of this cake, in my opinion, is that the potato is used raw. Just grate it and mix it. No need to steam or boil it, make a puree, then wait for it to cool, bla, bla, bla.
I live in Buenos Aires and we don’t have access to many potato varieties. We have russet potatoes and a variety that has darker skin. Both are very common. This is to explain that any potato can be used. Even sweet potatoes.
I think that if you have access to a creamier potato the consistency would be fudgier. That said, the cake is amazing with any regular potato, and there’s no need to buy any fancy ones.
What about the peanut butter chocolate frosting?
The peanut butter chocolate frosting was a last-minute addition when I updated this post years ago. I thought the cake needed something more, for the pictures really.
It turned out to be perfect. And amazing by itself. So use it with any other chocolate cake or muffin or whatever you want. Even as a spread for toast!
Steps for making the frosting:
- Melt chocolate with some of the cream. I find it’s the easiest way to melt it in the microwave without risk of burning it. Even so, you have to be very careful and put the bowl in 10-second spurts and mix it well before popping it again. Sometimes the chocolate looks whole but it is mostly melted already in the center.
- Mix with the peanut butter (image above, left).
- Add powdered sugar and/or cream until you get the consistency you want (image above, right). It depends a lot on how thick the peanut butter and cream are. A lot. Sometimes you don’t need to add any sugar.
This for me is one of those perfect everyday chocolate cakes. It can be made in any pan you want – cupcakes, round layers, square, even loaf pan.
I like to make it in a square pan (image above) because I like to cut cakes in squares. It’s sort of a sheet cake.
It’s probably my favorite pan.
Frosting this chocolate potato cake.
I find that a layer of frosting on the top is all it takes to make the cake extra special.
If you have a special icing spatula (image above, right) by all means use it. But a smooth blade everyday knife will do the job perfectly. No need to go buying gadgets you might not use regularly.
So, the ever-popular potato found its way into this truly wonderful chocolate cake. I hope you make it. It’s so easy and interesting, you should give it a try. Did I mention the potato is used raw?
Other recipes you might like:
Fudgy Brownie Muffins
Peanut Butter Bread with Chocolate Sauce
Chocolate Chip Date Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge
No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Triple Chocolate Brownie Cake
Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
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Chocolate Potato Cake, Incredibly moist, sweet and fudgy, it’s mixed in the food processor! The chocolate peanut butter frosting is just, literally, the icing of this fabulous cake.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 4-oz. (115g) russet potato (or another type), raw, peeled and cut to fit feed tube
- 2 cups (450g) sour cream, at room t°
- 1 ¾ cups (230g) all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, room tº
- 2 large eggs, room t°
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the peanut butter frosting:
- 1 cup (250g) peanut butter, at room t°
- 2 oz (55g) semisweet chocolate, melted
- 3–4 tablespoons whipping cream
- ¼ to ½ cup powdered sugar, optional, see notes below
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF /180°C.
- Butter and flour 9×13 inch (20x26cm) cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
- If you don’t have a large food processor you may need to make it in two batches.
- Put the shredding disc in the food processor and shred the potato.
- Change the shredder for the steel knife. If you had to remove the shredded potato momentarily put it back in the bowl of the processor.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process for 3-4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl and making sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- If you have to make it in batchen transfer each mixture to a large bowl and then mix it all together.
- Transfer chocolate mixture to prepared pan.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until tester inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely in pan and invert onto platter.
- Frost with peanut butter chocolate frosting or dust with powdered sugar.
For peanut butter frosting:
- Melt chocolate and 2 tablespoons of cream in microwave or double boiler.
- Mix thoroughly with peanut butter and rest of the cream.
- If you want a thicker consistency add some powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. If it’s too thick for your taste add a few tablespoons more cream.
- Spread on top of the cooled cake with a spatula.
Notes
Tips & tricks for this recipe:
- Potato: I had different levels of fudginess depending on the potato I use. I guess it’s the amount of starch. They all work perfectly well, but you might find that you like the consistency more with one or another.
- Frosting: after mixing peanut butter with chocolate, add powdered sugar and/or cream until you get the consistency you want. It depends a lot on how thick the peanut butter and cream are. A lot. Sometimes you don’t need to add any sugar at all.
- Powdered sugar: you can only use a dusting of powdered sugar instead of making the frosting. It is a wonderful plain cake.
- Pans: it can be made in any pan you want – cupcakes, round layers, square, even loaf pan. I like to make it in a square pan (image above) because I like to cut cakes in squares. It’s sort of a sheet cake.
- Freezing it: wrap it well and freeze it for up to a month, as any other chocolate cake. Defrost at room t°.
Keywords: potato cake, chocolate potato cake
from Bon Appétit – January 1989
I am fascinated by this recipe. I’ve seen cooked potato in vintage cookbook cake recipes but never raw potato. Guess it’s similar to zucchini or carrot. You can’t deny the result. The cake looks so moist!
★★★★★
Well, I’ve never had potato in a cake, but I am ALL about trying this one!! Looks so good. Pass me a fork!
★★★★★
I have never heard of adding potato to a cake but I bet my grandmother has. Now, when I have leftover potatoes, I don’t need to worry about fitting them into a dinner recipe. Instead, I can just use them in this cake!
★★★★★
Potatoes in chocolate cake??? What??? Two of my favorite things! I can’t wait to try this. I’m glad you mentioned the option to use “creamier” potatoes, if you have access to them. I happen to have some Yukon Gold potatoes in my pantry right now – they are buttery and delicious and I think they were destined to end up in this cake. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I think they will be perfect! Hope you like it as much as I do!
This cake is the perfect cake! It’s so moist and delicious – never would have thought to make a cake with potatoes great idea!
★★★★★
Wow potato in a cake sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try this chocolate potato cake. It looks delicious!
★★★★★
Wow! Potato in a cake? You definitely have got me curious to know what this tastes like. Looks incredible though & I would love to learn more about how to use veggies in desserts.
★★★★★
This cake looks incredibly moist and delicious! I never would have thought to use a potato! The icing looks so creamy as well. I cannot wait to give this recipe a try!
★★★★★
What an interesting recipe! I’m loving the addition of the potato. Your cake looks so incredibly moist and fluffy!
★★★★★
This is a really interesting recipe! I like the idea of using the potato uncooked so you save time on prep. I will have to try this recipe out!
★★★★★
Thanks Kate!
Delicioso
I Like it.
Love your humor about the Idaho potato.
★★★★★
This is certainly a different chocolate cake recipe! Love that the potato is unbaked. Easy and looks delicious. Yummy!
★★★★★
Paula, I just saw this on Pinterest. What a lovely recipe! I'm saving it because I need to try this cake 🙂