Monday, January 3, 2011

WHAT IS IN THAT CHOCOLATE CAKE?




I have been having a wonderful time reading all your blogs recently, I'm particularly enjoying reading everyone's resolutions, well enjoying and feeling guilty at the same time (I'm going to have to get my act together and at least pretend that I'm going to try to be a better/thinner/healthier/fitter person in 2011).

Unfortunately, nobody has resolved to try baking more with unusual ingredients, because if you had - this would be the cake for you!!  Now before you say "YUKK" - you  just have to try it  (I sound like your mother don't I??!!) it is moist, rich and chocolaty, AND as it contains a vegetable it is allowed in your new year's healthy eating plan.

Coby over at The Clayton's Blog , baked this cake recently and loved it, this was recommendation enough for me, so I added it to a recent cooking/baking marathon, it was very popular, but nobody guessed that there was a potato in there!  I do have some history with strange additions to my cakes, the most successful being the kidney bean containing  Flourless Chocolate Cake.  It can only be onward and upward from here - chocolate cake with cabbage anyone?!






Chocolate Potato Cake

145g                  plain flour
3/4 tsp               bread (bicarbonate of) soda
1/4 tsp               salt
190g                  caster sugar
2 tbsp                cocoa powder (I'll use 3 tbsp next time)
1x 60g               potato (peeled weight)
250ml                sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)
60g                    butter - room temperature
1                        egg - room temperature
1 tsp                  vanilla extract
165g                  dark chocolate, chopped.

Ganache*

125g                  dark chocolate (I used 70%)
60g                     butter
25ml                   water

Preheat oven to 180 C
Butter and flour a 20cm round tin or an equivalent bundt tin.

Place the flour, bread (bicarb) soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and whizz.
Grate the potato and add to the flour.
Add the sour cream (yogurt), butter, egg and vanilla and process well, scraping the sides down regularly.
Add the chopped chocolate and pulse to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake 35 - 40 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean)
When ready allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
Turn out of the tin to the wire rack to cool completely.

Make the ganache by placing the chocolate, butter and water in a pan over a low heat and melt until a smooth glossy sauce. (*this is half the original quantity of ganache, but it was enough to cover the cake, so unless you want left-overs this is plenty).
Allow to cool slightly and then pour over the cake (put something under the cake to catch the drips).
Leave to cool totally and then serve.

Enjoy!

42 comments:

Sommer said...

That sounds very intriguing!!! It looks great with the chocolate glaze and perfectly gooey and decadent. From the looks alone it looks tasty. Hope you had a wonderful new year!!!

Beth (jamandcream) said...

I have heard of mashed potato being used in cakes before - this one looks delicious, esp the ganache!!

Paula said...

I know there are a few recipes around that add zucchini to a chcolate cake for moistness and my Mom used Campbell's tomato soup to make a yummy spice cake (back in the sixties), so I say bring on the potatoes! And years age I had a great fudge that I believe used mashed potato as a base, delicious.

Gloria Baker said...

This chocolate cake is absolutely yummy and look wonderful! Nice recipe!
I wish you a wonderful New Year! gloria

Brownieville Girl said...

Thanks Sommer - tastes better than it sounds!!

This is the first time I've seen raw potato in a cake Beth - somehow mashed potato makes more sense it me!!

Paula - I have read about the tomato soup cake - must give it a try!

Thank you Gloria.

Brownieville Girl said...

That should of course read - makes more sense to me!!

Jemima said...

Potato is a most unusual ingredient, it must be said. However, I would be willing to give it a try. I have a new kitchen gadget I need to try out! It looks lovely and glossy. x

Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes said...

Happy New Year! I think you skipped over the directions for the Chocolate Blitzen Martini! They were there, but here they are - just for you! Ingredients:

2 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/3 c. chocolate-flavored sprinkles
1 c. chocolate ice cream
2 oz(1/4 c.) Bailey's
1 oz. (2 tablespoons) dark cream de cacao
1 oz. (2 tablespoons) vodka
Chocolate curls

Directions:

1. In a heavy small saucepan, heat chocolate over low heat until melted. Dip the rims of eight 1-ounce mini martini glasses or shot glasses in the melted chocolate and then dip in the sprinkles. Chill until serving time.

2. In a blender, combine ice cream, Bailey's, cream de cacao, and vodka. Cover and blend until mixture is smooth.

3. Pour into prepared glasses. Garnish with chocolate curls. Serve immediately. Makes 8 (1-ounce) servings.

Fabulous cake!

Care Bear said...

I have to try this, if only for the novelty value!

Elsa said...

I think potato would work great. It doesn't have a lot of flavor, so I'm sure the chocolate covers it nicely. Yum! :)

Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes said...

OMG, that's so funny!!! LOL!!! Just hop on a plane and call me when you get to Logan airport in Boston and we'll pick you up!!! Happy New Year!!!

Miz Helen said...

Hi,
Welcome to The Country Cottage!
I am so happy that you stopped by to have tea with me so that I could come by and give you a visit. Your cake looks amazing, I think I will give it a try. Thank you for sharing and you have a great week!

Sour Cherry said...

Wow, that sounds very interesting. I like the idea of a baking project using unusual ingredients. Beetroot is supposed to work very well in cakes too - adds a natural sweetness and moistness. Your cake looks beautifully glossy and I'm sure it tasted amazing! Must get myself a bundt tin and give it a go!

Anonymous said...

JMJ that looks divine. Chocolate and Spuds together at last!
I've made beetroot choc brownies before which were grand but not super duper.

Kitchen Stories said...

I love cakes and chocolate! Yours looks great!

Happy New Year!

Lorraine said...

ooh interesting! Which one of us will be first to try the Parsnip and walnut recipe in the Avoca 3 book? :)

Zoe said...

This is new to me using potato in cake!

Happy 2011 and love to see more of your yummy creations in this new year :D

art is in the kitchen said...

Wonderful cake! I like adding potatoes to my bread too. It makes it softer and more spongy. I am sure it does the same thing with the cake.
Happy New Year to you!!!

Mary said...

This looks like my new favourite way to eat potatoes! I never thought of using them, but I make a chocolate zucchini cake in summer, and I have some cooked beets in the fridge for a chocolate beet cake. Happy 2011 to you and yours.
:)

laurie said...

What an interesting recipe..looks awesome!

Chele said...

Interesting! I feel so behind the times now, I'm still working my way up to making and trying a beetroot chocolate cake lol

Julie said...

It's so delicious looking, I would never ask what was in there, I would just dive right in!

Unknown said...

hey, like you say, contains a vegetable and that, to me equals healthy! x

cupcakegirl said...

Wow Iwould have never thought I'm definitley going to try this just so I can see if people guess what its made with

Unknown said...

Chocolate cake with cabbage, why not, I will try almost anything at least once. I like the substitutions you made in this recipe. Greek yogurt is terrific!

Choclette said...

Looks lovely in a bundt shape. I've been wanting to try some of your vegetable recipes so maybe that could be my NYR - potato sounds interesting. We currently have a super abundance of squash - have you done a pumpkin chocolate cake?

Unknown said...

Raw grated potatoes sounds very interesting! Would you make it again! I would think it would add a moistness to the cake. Looks deliciously chocolatey!

Brownieville Girl said...

Choclette -

You could try: http://brownievillegirl.blogspot.com/2010/08/afternoon-tea.html

or

http://brownievillegirl.blogspot.com/2010/07/brownies-11.html

the blondier were particularly nice.

Erika Beth, the Messy Chef said...

Potato peel? Weird! I'm not a big potato fan but I am sure I would love it hidden in chocolate!

Joyti said...

You know, that sounds really interesting. Flour and potatoes are both carbs - starches - so why not?

Anonymous said...

I do have to admit, a potato in a cake sounds a little strange. But it sure looks delicious!! ;)

Sharon said...

Thanks for commenting on my Christmas cupcakes post. I hope you enjoy them. They are really tasty. Essentially, they are a lighter version of Christmas puddings so they're a good thing to eat if you're trying to extend Christmas into January!
And chocolate cake with potato! It sounds strange but, like you, I'd try anything once!

Manu said...

Oh I love this cae I made it onece and it's amasing!

Roxan said...

Oh, I bet the potato keeps the cake super fluffy! Next time try with sweet potato, I bet that would be off the charts :)

cocoa and coconut said...

Hi there,
I think that your idea of using the potato water is ingenius! The ganache looks yummy too :D

Anonymous said...

Oooh, I have never seen a recipe for potato in cake before. This looks so yummy. I bet the texture is great!

Jacqueline said...

I know potato makes fabulous rolls so why not a chocolate cake. It looks wonderful and the glaze, well, let's just have extra of that for me!

The Caked Crusader said...

Cool - I've been thinking of trying a similar recipe with beetroot for a while but my family haven't fully forgiven me for the brussel sprout cake yet!

Viv said...

haha i was guessing there was zuchinni in there at first! wow potato..would've never thought of that! i love the idea of incorporating veges into desserts! awesome!

Lish said...

Sounds very interesting - I have heard of Zucchini chocolate cake - but never potato.

Brownieville Girl said...

Thank you all for your kind comments.

I have tried beetroot brownies (not a huge success) and would love to hear if anyone finds a recipe worth trying. Actually I would find it hard not to eat the beetroot before it made it to any cake batter!!!!

CC - I had to go and check your blog to see if you had actually made the brussel sprout cake!!! Well Done :-}}

Marcellina, yes I would make it again, everyone loved it. Next time I might give Roxan's idea of the sweet potato a go!

CakeMistress said...

It's a shame that we aren't more adventurous with ingredients. Potato and beetroot are fabulous in cakes!