Potato Spice Cake

Mashed potatoes in a cake? It sounds odd until you taste the result. The potatoes add a moisture and density that butter or oil alone can’t achieve, giving this cake a tender, almost pudding-like crumb that stays fresh for days without drying out.

This is an old-fashioned recipe in the best sense. Cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice all go into the batter together, creating a warmly spiced chocolate flavor that’s more about depth than sweetness. The shortening gets cut into the dry ingredients like a pie crust, which gives the cake an unusually fine, even texture.

Raisins and nuts folded in at the end add chew and crunch throughout. Baked in an angel cake pan (tube pan), the center tube helps heat reach the middle of this dense batter so it cooks through evenly during the long 70-minute bake.

Pro Tips

• Use cold mashed potatoes, not warm. Warm potatoes will melt the shortening prematurely and change the texture of the crumb.
• Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until fine as cornmeal. This step is what makes the cake tender, not crumbly.
• Don’t overmix once the wet ingredients go in. Beat until smooth and stop. Overworking develops gluten and makes the cake tough.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, no more. Too long and the cake sticks. Too short and it falls apart.

Variations

• Cream cheese frosting: Top with a tangy cream cheese frosting for a spice cake that crosses into carrot cake territory.
• Chocolate glaze: Drizzle with a thin chocolate ganache to double down on the cocoa flavor.
• Dried cranberries: Swap raisins for dried cranberries for a tart contrast that pairs beautifully with the warm spices.