Vintage recipes are kind of my jam. I love recreating retro recipes from the past, like this Chocolate Potato Cake Recipe from 1912. These old fashioned recipes are tried and true; they rarely disappoint the taste buds.
This chocolate potato cake is rich and moist. Honestly, you’d never guess there were mashed potatoes in this cake! But the potatoes create a magic in the cake that can’t be fully understood until you eat it.
Now I love a light and fluffy cake with frosting as much as the next person. But this chocolate cake is so delicious it really doesn’t require any frosting at all. I simply dust it with a little powdered sugar and it is beautiful and tasty.
This cake is soft and fudgy. like brownies. It is delicious and not overly sweet. Adding powdered sugar to the top instead of frosting keeps it simple yet indulgent.
Vintage Recipes
If you love vintage recipes be sure to check out my other posts full of recipes from the past!
The Most Delicious Vintage Cookie Recipes
Pecan Bar Recipe
Vintage Pie Recipes You and Your Family Will Love
Classic Glazed Donut Recipe
Vintage Cake Recipes
Can you add potatoes to a cake?
Absolutely! Adding potatoes actually gives bakes treats moisture and structure.
Are baked or mashed potatoes best in a cake?
I prefer mashed but I know there are recipes that use baked potatoes successfully.
Ingredients Needed for Chocolate Potato Cake Recipe
- Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Real Mashed Potatoes, cooled (no boxed potatoes please)
- Vanilla Extract (you can make your own!)
- All-Purpose Flour
- Milk
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Soda
Equipment Needed to Prepare Vintage Chocolate Potato Cake
- Stand or Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowl
- 9 inch Spring Form Pan (you can use a regular cake pan or Bundt pan if you prefer)
- Liners or Parchment Paper (optional)
How to Make Chocolate Potato Cake from Scratch
There is a printable recipe for you at the bottom of this post.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and gather all your ingredients.
Prepare your mashed potatoes and allow them to cool before using them in the recipe.

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add in potatoes, eggs and vanilla

In large bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.

Add ½ dry ingredients, then half the milk. Repeat.
Beat on high for 30-45 seconds, until the batter is well mixed.

Spray springform pan with cooking spray. You may also want to use a liner for the pan, to prevent the bottom from sticking.
Pour batter into 9” springform pan.

Bake cake for 45-50 minutes, or until knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes, then use a butter knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides.

Release pan and let the cake completely cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
If you decide to make this yummy retro chocolate recipe, I would love for you to come and tell me how you LOVE IT!
What old fashioned recipes do you still love to make today? Were they handed down from family members?
More Chocolate Recipes
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Scone Recipe
Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs
Hot Cocoa Bombs
Red Velvet Truffles

Vintage Chocolate Potato Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Softened
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Mashed Potatoes Cooked and Cooled
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and gather all your ingredients.
Prepare your mashed potatoes and allow them to cool before using them in the recipe.
-
In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
-
Add in potatoes, eggs and vanilla
-
In large bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.
-
Add ½ dry ingredients, then half the milk.
Repeat.
Beat on high for 30-45 seconds, until the batter is well mixed.
-
Spray springform pan with cooking spray. You may also want to use a liner for the pan, to prevent the bottom from sticking.
Pour batter into 9” springform pan.
-
Bake cake for 45-50 minutes, or until knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes, then use a butter knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the sides.
-
Release pan and let the cake completely cool.
-
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
-
Serve