Potato Fudge Cake

Here’s a vintage baking secret: grated raw potato in a chocolate cake. Don’t be skeptical, the potato bakes right in, lending an incredibly moist, tender, fudgy crumb without a hint of potato flavor.

It’s an old-fashioned spice-and-chocolate cake, warmed with cinnamon, clove, and allspice and brightened by a little lemon zest, with chopped almonds folded throughout. Whipped egg whites, folded in last, keep the rich batter from baking up heavy.

The crowning touch is a homemade marshmallow icing, brown sugar cooked to the softball stage, then melted with marshmallows into a fluffy, gooey frosting. A drizzle of bittersweet chocolate run down the sides finishes it like an old-time bakery cake.

It bakes low and slow into a dense, rich torte. Dust the almonds with a little flour before adding so they stay suspended instead of sinking to the bottom.

Chef Tips

• Grate the raw potato finely so it melts into the batter for a moist, even crumb.
• Fold in the whipped egg whites gently and last to keep the heavy batter light.
• Dust the almonds with a little of the flour so they don’t sink to the bottom.
• Cook the marshmallow icing to softball stage before adding the marshmallows for the right fluffy texture.

Variations

• Use walnuts or pecans in place of almonds.
• Finish with a simple chocolate ganache instead of marshmallow icing.
• Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate.