Chocolate Potato Layer Cake

Cookbook Category: Cakes & Frostings

What happens when you make a chocolate cake with mashed potatoes? If you use this recipe, a moist, delicious, very chocolatey cake with a touch of mocha happens. You'll be pleased.

3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed potatoes (no milk or seasonings added), cooled
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

Sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and instant coffee in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and mashed potatoes.

Reduce speed to low, and add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, just until blended. Do not overbeat.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Allow to cool completely before frosting.