Chocolate potato gateau

A chocolate loaf with a hint of spud 

We’re back with yet another potato-based retro recipe from my YouTube series, and this time I’m bringing back the chocolate potato cake. Yet, potatoes in a cake. Am I sold? Absolutely. Obviously I’m weirdly into this.

Look, if we can all agree that beetroot belongs in brownies, carrots belong in cake, and courgettes can somehow be acceptable in muffins without anyone kicking off…then I think it’s time we give this carby cake a fair chance. 

Tell me more

If you’re still reading and intrigued to find out more, let me explain. 

This vintage gem of a recipe is less like your classic sponge cake and more like a chocolate biscuit cake or tiffin situation. Dense, rich, sliceable and the kind of thing you’d absolutely demolish with a cup of tea. Perfect for weekend treats or a nice little lunch box snack. 

But instead of the usual cake ingredients, we’ve thrown in some creamy mashed potatoes, dark orange marmalade, ground almonds and lovely chocolate. 

And apparently, marmalade and almonds were favourites of the Queen Mother, so as the self-titled Potato Queen, this recipe feels oddly on brand for me. 

Traditionally, this loaf is finished with whole blanched almonds pressed into the top…to look like teeth.

Teeth.

I was fully on board until I noticed this little detail. So, if you fancy keeping things a little less haunted Victorian nightmare, feel free to rearrange the almonds into something a bit more wholesome. Flowers, patterns, anything that doesn’t look like it might nibble back.

Now tell me more about the potato

I get that you’re thinking, but there is logic behind this ingredient choice.  

Mashed potatoes actually add moisture and density without making the cake heavy in a bad way. You don’t taste potato as such, it just gives you that soft, squidgy texture that gets masked behind the chocolate flavour. I also have a recipe for chocolate-coated macaroons where this texture is also apparent, so give these a try too.

What’s dark marmalade?

So unlike your classic marmalade, dark marmalade has a deeper and almost slightly bitter citrus flavour compared to the standard stuff. It cuts through the richness of the chocolate and adds a bit of complexity, so it’s not just sweet-on-sweet. Plus, does this count as one of your 5-a-day? No, probably not, but let’s tell ourselves this cake has both fruit and veg. 

Where can I watch this?

If you want to see how this all comes together, and whether it’s actually genius or just a bit of a mess, you can watch the full step-by-step video over on my YouTube channel.

You can also watch me take on potato meringues, potato roly polys and the mysterious girl talk potatoes. 

Will this one become a new go-to dessert in the Poppy Cooks household? You’ll have to watch and find out.

Where did you uncover this delight/montrosity… 

This recipe has been adapted from Gwen Robyns Potato Book and let me tell you, this book is an absolute treasure trove of potato content. I’m obsessed. The wild things she does with a potato are iconic behaviour. If you love a spud as much as me, please check the book out, or watch my channel where I’ll be recreating even more of her recipes.