Pioneer Chocolate-Potato Cake

A rich spicy cake.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 2 8-in cakes

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup butter
• 2  cups sugar
• 4  eggs, separated
• 2  cups all-purpose white flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1  teaspoon nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon ground cloves
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 2  tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1  cup  plus buttermilk
• 1  tablespoon buttermilk
• 1  cup  cold mashed potatoes
• 1  teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until very fluffy and light. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, very well.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.
4. Blend together the buttermilk and potatoes.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture. Stir in the vanilla.
6. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into the mixture. Turn mixture into two greased eight inch square baking pans and bake forty-five minutes, or until done. Yield: Two cakes.
7. The New York Times Heritage Cook Book.