MASHED POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE: THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS

If you're like me, you'll have a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers. I posted a recipe for Turkey Mole to use up the leftover turkey, but here's another great recipe for those delicious leftover mashed potatoes. This Mashed Potato Chocolate Cake recipe is easy and absolutely delicious. WARNING: This recipe won't work if you seasoned your potatoes with herbs or garlic. Mashed potatoes with butter or cream or cream cheese will work perfectly.

In case you want to make this as its own dish (not using leftovers), try the recipe I posted for White Chocolate Mashed Potatoes.

I've never met a potato I didn't like!

MASHED POTATO CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients
4 oz. dark chocolate (65-75% cacao)
1 cup sweet butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. Madagascar or Mexican vanilla extract
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 ounces dark chocolate chopped into chunks (or chocolate chips)

Directions
Melt chocolate with vanilla; cool slightly.
Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar and beat in eggs, one by one.
Add chocolate and mashed potatoes.
Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk.
Fold in dark chocolate chips or chunks.
Pour into greased 13x9 x 2 inch pan (or Bundt Pan) and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes. 

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Add Chocolate

So many great ways to use up Thanksgiving Left-Overs, and with the addition of a little chocolate (which is always left-over chez moi) you can have an outstanding meal.

Simply Recipes has a wonderful Turkey Chili Recipe that can be used in enchiladas or just eat as chili or use with Sloppy Joe's. Be sure and add chopped chocolate at the end. Recipe says unsweetened, but I add sweetened dark chocolate for a little more impact.

Good Food Channel has an awesome recipe by Gino D'Acampo for Turkey Mole that uses 'bitter' chocolate. For me that would be any chocolate over 65% cacao. I love this recipe because it uses almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, prunes, raisins, plantains and lots of other ingredients that aren't in your (or my) usual moles.

For me, though, Mashed Potato Chocolate Cake is my favorite use of left-overs. There are lots of Mashed Potato Chocolate Cake recipes, but this is one of the easiest.

1 1/2 cup self rising flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz. organic fair-trade dark chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cooked mashed potatoes (make sure they weren't seasoned)

Cream butter and sugar with potatoes. Then add melted chocolate or cocoa. Add beaten eggs alternately with flour and salt. Pour in milk and mix well. Grease 9 inch square pan. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Top will be firm and spring to the touch when cooked. Let cake cool and turn onto wire rack. Frost with a good chocolate ganache when completely cooled.