Pendragon's Cocoa Potato Cake

submitted by and thanks to Pendragon MM Crowley

(Your friends won't know until you tell 'em!)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs, seperated

1 cup hot mashed potatoes (instant is fine, just as long as it's
already made)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

a dash of ground cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 half cup chopped nuts (almonds'r nice)

Tools:

Standard cake pan, 13x9x2

Upright mixer

Stick blender (mwahahaha)

2 additional small bowls

Preheat the oven to about 350 deg F. Grease and flour (with cocoa
powder) the pan, and set it aside. In the mixer, cream the butter and
sugar. Add the egg *yolks*, one at a time, waiting for each to be
fully incorporated. Gradually add your mashed potatoes until they are
very well blended together. Combine your dry ingredients (flour,
cocoa, baking powder, and cinnamon) in one of your bowls and alternate
pouring that and your milk to the butter compound in the mixer. When
you're finished, add the vanilla extract and your nuts. No, I'm not
referring to your mental state (though some might, if they knew the
recipe name), I'm referring to the seeds being added into the mixture.
Right, now with a stick blender (refer to the earlier maniacal laugh)
whip you egg *whites* to stiff pearly peaks. Fold this gently into the
mix, to add a bit of variety in its texture. Pour all of this into
your patiently waiting 13x9x2, and into the oven she goes. 35 - 40
minutes later (depending on altitude) your cake will be complete.
Since we're playing in Mr. B's sandbox, we'll go by his rules: skip
the toothpick and go with the "bounce" test he used for his cornbread
in "Ear Apparent". If it rises from a touch of a (gloved) hand, it's
done. Let rest on a wire rack, frost with the good stuff, and fool
your friends!