Chocolate and Potato Ring Cake

Chocolate and Potato Cake with the addition of macadamia nuts and dried cranberries.

I've been blogging for a bit now and enjoying the cooking challenges that are hosted by other bloggers. Often challenges are guest hosted by other bloggers giving them a chance to pick their own themes. I thought it was time that I stepped up to the plate and put myself forward as a guest host. Since I always have a very willing band of chocolate recipe testers I thought I would ask Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog to be a guest host of her We Should Cocoa chocolate cooking challenge. Happily, she agreed and for October 2013 I decided the theme should be vegetables. So here's my contribution for the We Should Cocoa challenge.

One question that may well be asked is why the inclusion of the mashed potato? Firstly, it's a terrific way of using up a little bit of leftover mashed potato. Secondly, the addition of the mashed potato adds a moistness to the cake. Quite often when cocoa is added to a recipe it can have a drying effect.

I've also added some macadamia nuts and dried cranberries. Substitute these if you wish. Chopped almonds, walnuts, raisins or sultanas would all work equally well. I've left it plain this time but an icing topping, either plain or chocolate, is also welcome.

Equipment: 1½ pint (900ml) Ring mould or savarin tin (mine's from Lakeland), electric whisk.

Ingredients

4oz (110g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

4oz (110g) Caster sugar

3oz (85g) Self-raising flour

1oz (28g) Cocoa powder

3oz (85g) Mashed potato

1oz (28g) Macadamia nuts, chopped

1oz (28g) Dried cranberries

Method

1. Grease the ring mould.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

3. Sift the flour and cocoa together.

4. In a separate bowl cream together the butter and caster sugar.

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a little of the flour/cocoa mixture.

6. To remove any lumps from the mashed potato put through a ricer or press through a sieve.

7. Stir the mashed potato, macadamia nuts and cranberries into the creamed mixture.

8. Fold in the flour and cocoa into the tin and cook for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

9. Leave in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.