Old MacDonald's Potato Box Recipes
Baked Potato Cake Ingredients For the potatoes: 900g-1.25kg/2-2½lb large potatoes, preferably Maris Piper, King Edwards or Desirie, peeled 50g-100g/2-4oz melted butter, plus extra for brushing (optional) salt and pepper Directions To cook the potatoes, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Slicing the potatoes lengthwise, before drying on kitchen paper, provides the right length of slice to line the cake tin. It is also best to cut two of these potatoes 2mm/½in thick . (A mandolin slicer will obviously make this a lot easier.) All remaining potatoes are best sliced lengthwise very thinly. Use a 17.5 x 8-10cm/7x3-4in cake tin and brush well with some of the melted butter, saving the remainder to work through the potatoes. (100g/4oz is listed as an optional quantity to use, which does sound extravagant. It is not essential but will leave you with a very rich and memorable flavour.) For the most attractive of finishes a disc of 5cm/2in can be cut from one of the slices and placed in the centre of the base of the tin. Arrange the thicker potato slices overlapping neatly around this to cover the base of the tin. Place the thinner slices, also overlapping and standing upright, around the edge of the tin, making sure 1cm/½in is folded and pressed on to the base. To finish, place all the remaining potato slices in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix with the remaining melted butter. Pack and press these into the tin until all are used. Any overhanging side slices can now be folded back in and pressed on to the cake, cover with foil, pressing it down firmly against the potatoes and place in the oven. The potatoes will take approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to 1½ hours. After 30 minutes, remove the foil from the cake tin and continue to cook until tender and golden brown. To check the potatoes are completely tender, pierce with a knife. It's always best to allow a resting time of 5-10 minutes before turning out the cake. To do so, gently loosen the edge from the tin, then place a large flat baking tray over the cake tin and turn over. The cake will now fall from the tin on to the tray. The top of the cake may well still be a little opaque and not completely coloured. If so, lightly brush with butter, place under a preheated grill and finish to a rich crispy golden brown. It is not essential to surround the edge of the cake tin with the upright potato slices. Although these will obviously enhance the presentation, once the base is laid the rest can simply be packed on top for speed.

Old MacDonald's Potato Box Recipes

Baked Potato Cake

Ingredients

For the potatoes:
900g-1.25kg/2-2½lb large potatoes, preferably Maris Piper, King Edwards or Desirie, peeled
50g-100g/2-4oz melted butter, plus extra for brushing (optional)
salt and pepper

Directions

To cook the potatoes, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Slicing the potatoes lengthwise, before drying on kitchen paper, provides the right length of slice to line the cake tin. It is also best to cut two of these potatoes 2mm/½in thick . (A mandolin slicer will obviously make this a lot easier.) All remaining potatoes are best sliced lengthwise very thinly. Use a 17.5 x 8-10cm/7x3-4in cake tin and brush well with some of the melted butter, saving the remainder to work through the potatoes. (100g/4oz is listed as an optional quantity to use, which does sound extravagant. It is not essential but will leave you with a very rich and memorable flavour.) For the most attractive of finishes a disc of 5cm/2in can be cut from one of the slices and placed in the centre of the base of the tin. Arrange the thicker potato slices overlapping neatly around this to cover the base of the tin. Place the thinner slices, also overlapping and standing upright, around the edge of the tin, making sure 1cm/½in is folded and pressed on to the base.

To finish, place all the remaining potato slices in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix with the remaining melted butter. Pack and press these into the tin until all are used. Any overhanging side slices can now be folded back in and pressed on to the cake, cover with foil, pressing it down firmly against the potatoes and place in the oven. The potatoes will take approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to 1½ hours. After 30 minutes, remove the foil from the cake tin and continue to cook until tender and golden brown. To check the potatoes are completely tender, pierce with a knife. It's always best to allow a resting time of 5-10 minutes before turning out the cake. To do so, gently loosen the edge from the tin, then place a large flat baking tray over the cake tin and turn over. The cake will now fall from the tin on to the tray. The top of the cake may well still be a little opaque and not completely coloured. If so, lightly brush with butter, place under a preheated grill and finish to a rich crispy golden brown. It is not essential to surround the edge of the cake tin with the upright potato slices. Although these will obviously enhance the presentation, once the base is laid the rest can simply be packed on top for speed.