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    Home » Cakes » Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake

    Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake

    Published: Mar 8, 2021 · Modified: Mar 11, 2021 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake recipe takes leftover mashed potatoes and turns them into a moist chocolate cake that's so light and fluffy!

    Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake with a fork in the piece.

    Once a holiday is over, there are always tons of leftovers. It's nice not having to cook again for a day or so, but then it can get old eating the same thing again and again.

    That's why it's great to have recipes that repurpose those leftovers into new dishes - like this Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake recipe that uses leftover mashed potatoes.

    If you've never baked with mashed potatoes before, it may sound a little strange, but mashed potatoes are the key to some light and fluffy baked goods. For instance, I use them in my Amish dinner rolls to give the rolls their light texture.

    The mashed potatoes work the same magic in this cake. The cake is really moist, and the potatoes also help to give it a fluffier texture.

    This is the cake that my oldest daughter chooses as her birthday cake almost every year. I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as we do!

    How to make

    Creamed butter in a silver mixing bowl.

    Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

    In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

    In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until combined.
    Beat in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until well-combined.

    Chocolate mashed potato cake batter in a silver mixing bowl.

    Add mashed potatoes and melted chocolate. Mix until incorporated.

    Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated.

    Chocolate mashed potato cake batter in a baking pan.


    Pour batter into prepared baking pan, smoothing as needed.

    Bake for 35-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Let cake cool to room temperature before frosting.

    TO MAKE THE FROSTING
    Beat butter and powdered sugar together until well-combined.

    Mix in chocolate and milk until completely incorporated. Spread over cooled cake.

    Tips

    Cake flour: If you don't have cake flour, you can make a homemade substitute with this recipe. Also, to properly measure the flour, stir or sift it to break it up, lightly spoon it into the measuring cup, and level.

    Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. You can use unsalted if you prefer. "Cool room temperature" means that the butter is about 68F. The butter should dent when pressed, but the stick shouldn't lose its shape or be smooshy.

    Buttermilk: You can use regular or low-fat buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute with this recipe.

    Mashed potatoes:  Instant or regular will work. If you don't have leftover mashed potatoes, I have a section just below that describes how to make enough mashed potatoes for this cake.

    How to make a quick batch of mashed potatoes

    To make enough mashed potatoes for this cake, peel one large baking potato. Cut the potato into chunks.

    Place the potato chunks in a pot of cold water. There should be enough cold water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch.

    Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain the water and then mash the potatoes.

    Slice of chocolate mashed potato cake on a white plate.

    Other frostings that pair well with this cake

    • Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe
    • Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
    • Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
    • Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

    Storage

    This cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days. The frosted cake should be stored, covered, in the fridge.

    More chocolate cake recipes!

    • Slice of german chocolate cake with a fork taking a bite out.
      German Chocolate Sheet Cake
    • Slice of hot chocolate cake with a piece of it on a fork
      Hot Chocolate Cake
    • Silver fork taking a bite of chocolate zucchini cake
      Chocolate Zucchini Cake
    • 6 Minute Chocolate Cake
    • Slice of chocolate fudge cake on a white plate with a fork in it
      Chocolate Fudge Cake
    • Slice of Texas sheet cake on a cream plate
      Texas Sheet Cake
    • piece of chocolate mayonnaise cake with a fork in it
      Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
    • Chocolate Mousse Cake
      Chocolate Mousse Cake

    If you’ve tried this chocolate mashed potato cake recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below.

    I love to hear from people who've made my recipes! You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake

    Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake

    Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake recipe takes leftover mashed potatoes and turns them into a moist chocolate cake!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 20 servings
    Calories: 265kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • 9x13 pan

    Ingredients

    Chocolate Mashed Potato Cake

    • 1 ¾ cups cake flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup butter at cool room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs at room temperature
    • 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate melted and cooled slightly
    • ¾ cup plain mashed potatoes warm

    Chocolate Frosting

    • 12 tablespoons butter softened
    • 3 cups powdered sugar
    • 3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate melted and cooled slightly
    • 3-4 tablespoons milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    To make the cake

    • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until combined. 
    • Beat in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until well-combined.
    • Add mashed potatoes and melted chocolate. Mix until incorporated. 
    • Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. 
    • Pour batter into prepared baking pan, smoothing as needed.
    • Bake for 35-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
    • Let cake cool to room temperature before frosting.

    To make the frosting

    • Beat butter and powdered sugar together until well-combined.
    • Mix in chocolate and milk until completely incorporated. 
    • Spread over cooled cake. 

    Notes

    • Cake flour: If you don't have cake flour, you can make a homemade substitute with this recipe. Also, to properly measure the flour, stir or sift it to break it up, lightly spoon it into the measuring cup, and level.
    • Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. You can use unsalted if you prefer. "Cool room temperature" means that the butter is about 68F. The butter should dent when pressed, but the stick shouldn't lose its shape or be smooshy.
    • Buttermilk: You can use regular or low-fat buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute with this recipe.
    • Mashed potatoes:  Instant or regular will work. If you don't have leftover mashed potatoes, I have a section above the recipe that describes how to make enough mashed potatoes for this cake.
    • Nutrition facts are estimates.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 234mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

    Adapted from Desserts From the Famous Loveless Cafe.

    Originally published 4/17/17. Updated with additional photos and tips 3/8/21.

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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sheila

      March 22, 2021 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      Who knew mashed potatoes would make such a delicious cake. We loved every bite.

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 22, 2021 at 1:47 pm

        Thank you! I'm so glad that you liked it!

        Reply
    2. Catherine Maxey

      January 29, 2021 at 9:25 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe. I made 2/3 recipe and got 18 cupcakes. Bake time about 18 minutes. Added 1tsp cinnamon. 1/4 tsp black pepper. 1tsp coffee crystals dissolved in the buttermilk. Used instant mashed potato's. Great texture. Great flavor. I added about 1/4 mini chocolate chips.

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 30, 2021 at 10:02 am

        Thank you so much! This is my older daughter's favorite cake, and I'm glad to hear that other people are enjoying it, too!

        Reply
    3. Carol Sutton

      March 06, 2019 at 5:36 am

      How long will this cake keep

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 06, 2019 at 8:19 am

        Since it's so moist, it's best eaten in the first 2 days.

        Reply
    4. Ahmed

      January 29, 2019 at 10:40 am

      Can I use white chocolate instead of the dark chocolate and add some orange zest to make an orange white chocolate cake? Or it will feel like mashed potatoes?

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 29, 2019 at 9:57 pm

        Sorry, but I'm not sure how it would be with white chocolate. I don't think it would taste like mashed potatoes, but I'm just not sure how white chocolate would taste with this cake.

        Reply
      • Joyce Kerns

        September 12, 2019 at 12:52 am

        5 stars
        I'm going to make this cake but I can't have chocolate. Is there a rec ipe for a MASHED POTATO CAKE?

        Reply
        • Kate

          September 12, 2019 at 9:45 am

          Hi! I haven't tried to make this cake without the chocolate, so I can't say what changes would need to be made. If you can tell me what flavor of cake you're looking for, I may be able to direct you to a recipe that would work out better for you.

          Reply
    5. Gemma

      December 15, 2018 at 2:58 am

      Totally gorgeous..My sister's birthday is tomorrow and I need help because I want to know if I want to make the cake for a 9"inch cake tin..should I make 1/2 of the recipe or 2/3 or 3/4 the recipe??

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 15, 2018 at 8:29 am

        Thanks! I haven't tried cutting the recipe in half, but it half of the recipe *should* work in a 9-inch round cake pan. Good luck! =)

        Reply
        • Nada Ahmed

          December 26, 2018 at 1:52 am

          I made it yesterday and it came out incredibly moist and it was a melt in mouth cake but I noticed that it needed some cocoa powder to be richer in flavor and because I like chocolate cakes without any added frosting or even drizzle so can I add some cocoa powder and omit some flour?? Please tell me the right way to do so?
          Thanks in advance

          Reply
          • Kate

            December 26, 2018 at 1:52 pm

            Thank you! You can try adding cocoa powder in place of some of the frosting. Unfortunately, it isn't an exact exchange, and you need more cocoa powder to replace the same amount of flour. For instance, if you're replacing 1/4 cup of flour, you will usually need around 1/3 cup of cocoa powder. Hope that helps! =)

    6. nada

      October 29, 2018 at 10:46 am

      can I use vegetable oil instead of butter ?

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 29, 2018 at 12:42 pm

        You can! You'll only need 1/3 cup of vegetable oil if you use that instead of the butter.

        Reply
        • Nada

          October 29, 2018 at 2:55 pm

          Thanks for your help, I will give it a try and tell you but I am sure it will be gorgeous but I want to ask you if I do use the creaming method even if I use butter or just mix all the wet ingredients together then pour wet ingredients into the dry ones??
          Thanks in advance

          Reply
    7. Chelsea

      April 16, 2018 at 12:09 am

      5 stars
      I was skeptical about this cake. I didn't know if it would take like chocolate mashed potatoes. lol But it is one of the best cakes I've ever made! I made extra frosting and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe. It's a keeper!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 16, 2018 at 12:12 am

        Thankfully, the potatoes just make the cake light and fluffy.=) Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

        Reply

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    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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