Garlicky Mashed Potato Cake Recipe (2024)

By Claire Saffitz

Garlicky Mashed Potato Cake Recipe (1)

Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes
Rating
4(1,362)
Notes
Read community notes

If you like the creaminess of mashed potatoes but not the uniform texture, try this potato cake, which is like a cross between hash browns and a classic mash. Made with fluffy baked russet potatoes and flavored with garlic, browned butter and tangy sour cream, the cake is cooked on the stovetop, then transferred to the oven, where it takes on a crispy, golden brown crust. Make sure your nonstick skillet is oven-safe, or use a very well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.

Featured in: 3 Thanksgiving Potato Dishes That Are Better Than Mashed

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

  • 3pounds russet potatoes (about 6 medium-large), scrubbed
  • 6tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinch of ground nutmeg
  • ½cup crème fraîche or sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1tablespoon finely chopped chives

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

243 calories; 12 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 4 grams protein; 460 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Garlicky Mashed Potato Cake Recipe (2)

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Step

    1

    Arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack until the flesh is soft and tender and the skins are crispy, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them sit at room temperature just until they’re cool enough to handle (they should still be hot). Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

  2. Meanwhile, heat a 10-inch nonstick, oven-safe skillet over medium. Add the butter and swirl the skillet until the butter is melted and foamy, then add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until both the garlic and butter are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

  3. Step

    3

    Cut the still-hot potatoes in half and scoop the flesh out onto a cutting board (save the skins for snacking or discard). Use a knife or bench scraper to chop up the flesh so you have pieces of various sizes but none larger than a walnut half.

  4. Step

    4

    Add the potato flesh to the skillet, season generously with salt and pepper and add a pinch of nutmeg. Add the crème fraîche or sour cream, and fold the mixture gently until the potatoes are evenly coated, then flatten it gently into a single layer. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook undisturbed until all of the moisture has evaporated and the potatoes are starting to turn golden on the bottom, 5 to 8 minutes.

  5. Step

    5

    Gently shake the skillet to loosen the potato cake, then transfer it to the oven and bake until the potatoes are lightly browned across the surface, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the skillet and let sit for 10 minutes, then carefully invert the potato cake onto a serving platter (if making ahead, see note below). Top with chives and serve.

Tip

  • DO AHEAD: The potato cake can be made several hours in advance. Leave it in the skillet and set aside at room temperature, then reheat in the oven at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Ratings

4

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1,362

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

BettyJo

Induction? Cast Iron. Non-stick? Cast Iron. Perfect crunchy bottom? Cast Iron. Hubby gets back from the bar too late? Cast Iron.

Abby

Mixing up the potatoes, garlic, butter, and sour cream inside the skillet was a headache. Do yourself a favor and mix it up in a separate bowl. Yes, it's one more dish to clean, but saves you getting potato mash all over the stove, and everything gets mixed up much more smoothly.

sandra

My husband who is Swiss has been making this for years. It’s a Swiss classic called rosti. He always uses Yukon golds which he boils the day before and the next days he uses a box grater. No crème fraîche. He cooks it all in one big potato cake in the pan using butter and olive oil. It’s light as a feather. In Switzerland it’s often served with a fried egg and a slice of ham on top. It’s a very special treat.

Berenice

I would think a cast iron skillet would be good. It's not considered "nonstick," but I think it would give the bottom of the cake a nice crunchy texture. I'd love opinions on that idea.

Lorraine Fina Stevenski

Save energy. Microwave the potatoes until soft, probably 10 minutes.

MAK

That’s only 1T butter per spud. If you go out to eat you’re being served a lot more than that.

Cynthia

Properly tempered cast iron IS the ultimate nonstick pan.

Lora

I made this with olive oil and omitted butter. They were tasty and very good.

Rachel

We made this last night to go with beef short ribs. It was delicious -- but four of us ate the whole thing with no leftovers. I don't know if we had especially big appetites, but this seems a little skimpy for 8 people...

Gabrielle

Safety note: Teflon pans are generally not oven-safe above 350 degrees. If you haven't put your non-stick pan in the oven before, check to make sure its coating can withstand the temperature.

Beth H

Made a halved recipe tonight. Really good even thou mine didn't have the same even brown crust as shown in the picture. I was using an 8"cast iron pan for about 1.75lb russets.

gg

For dairy-free and vegan, Tofutti makes a tasty vegan sour cream.

Sherry

Do you think I could make it with sweet potatoes and leave out the garlic, replacing it with cinnamon, brown sugar and butter? Perhaps pecans and bourbon as well.

Ahuva Greenblatt

On the day you buy the six potatoes also buy the sour cream.

Kathleen

The intro suggests a " very well-seasoned" cast iron skillet as an alternative. I agree that cast iron would be the way to go here!

kaia

Would add slightly less butter! 4T I think

justine

1/2 onion half olive oil half butter. Some olive oil In mix.

justine

A Suggestion: perhaps the cooks who don’t want to make a recipe because they think there is too much sugar or fat could just move on to their fav low fat or low sugar recipe and spare the rest of us their negative comments. If you’re not making the recipe anyway, why comment? The rest of us like real food and if you practice moderation and exercise some real butter and sugar is really ok.

TryingToExperiment

I don't have an oven safe pan. Can I flip the cake onto a baking sheet and bake?

Dennis from Berkeley

I used russets as instructed, but I think a more flavorful and creamier potato would make this better. It was fun to make, but not a huge step above garlic mashed potatoes, which I love to fry as leftovers. Would likely do that instead next time: make the potatoes the day before and just fry patties.

Evelyn Pearl

This recipe is a good “base,” but like many of the other reviewers I put my own spin on the dish using some ingredients I had on hand. I included an entire yellow onion, fully caramelized, and a large heap of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I also gave it 5-10 additional minutes in the oven a minute under the broiler to get extra crispy edges all around.

sam

Made with leftover mashed. Added one egg and heaping spoonful of flour. Added parm and cheddar. Used dried garlic instead of fresh.

Juliet

I used natural yogurt instead of sour cream. Less calories.

Brandon

It never browned, didn't get crunchy, and eventually just burned black in the pan on the stove (was waiting for it to lose it's moisture). In the end it was still soggy (from the oil) and also burned. Not sure how I completely messed this entire thing up, it seemed pretty simple, but it was awful.

Megan

Great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

Matt

I made this yesterday in a fairly standard Lodge 10" cast iron skillet (very well-seasoned). Absolutely delicious. But, with 3 lb of russets, the potato cake was fairly thin (short?) at full diameter. Next time, I'll probably try doubling the recipe to get more tasty innards to go with the crispy outards. Adjust oven time accordingly.

Jayeff

It makes a nice colcannon cake.

MK

I always make mashers the same as in her step 1. For just 2, I scrub 2 large russets, then bake on the lowest rack of my large toaster oven at 350° for 1 1/2 hrs. I just scoop out the flesh from skin into a large bowl and hand mash (we like it with lumps remaining). I always stir in grated cheese to melt (often sharp cheddar), then I add butter, sour cream, chopped green onion and fresh garlic. I'll definitely try sautéing my add-ins in the butter, then frying and roasting. Looks amazing.

Dayna

3lbs of russet potatoes made an obscene amount. I boiled the potatoes and mashed them with seasoning and milk and sour cream. I fried the mash in butter and oil then flipped it and put it in the oven. Good but not great

david

my Calphalon 1390 10" pan is, according to the manufacturer, oven-safe. i suggest checking to see if yours might be as well. i don't cook with cast-iron pans (and yes i know they're the best etc.).

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Garlicky Mashed Potato Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do my mashed potato cakes fall apart? ›

If the potato cakes are falling apart because they are too wet it might not have enough flour. Troubleshoot this by adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a better consistency, the mixture should be somewhat wet and will have a slight stickiness but you also don't want it falling apart.

Why are my potato cakes soggy? ›

To get those perfectly crispy edges and soft middles for these, be sure you cook these in a thin layer of oil. Too much oil and your cakes could be a little soggy. Also, letting the mashed potatoes chill for about an hour before you cook them helps the mixture stick together.

What kind of potatoes are best for mashed potatoes? ›

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are a starchy varieties like russet, Idaho or Yukon gold. Starchy potatoes are best for mashed potatoes because they have a fluffy, almost airy texture that breaks down easily.

How do I keep my potato patties from falling apart? ›

Thoroughly squeezing the moisture out of the shredded potatoes prior to cooking is how you keep potato pancakes from falling apart. Using the proper ratio of egg to potato is also important. If your mixture seems too watery before cooking, add a bit more flour to thicken it up.

How do you fix a falling cake? ›

How to Fix Sunken Cake
  1. Step 1: Cut the outer ring of cake. Take your fallen cake and cut the ridge from around the sunken middle, so the top of the cake is level. ...
  2. Step 2: Fill in the gap in the cake. Using the excess cake, fill the sunken middle in and smooth it out. ...
  3. Step 3: Cover with frosting.

Why are my cakes so moist? ›

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

How do you keep potatoes Fluffy? ›

Removing the potato starch both before and after cooking ensures fluffy, not gluey, mashed potatoes. Milk and butter give the potatoes richness.

Can you eat potato cakes cold? ›

Absolutely! Try adding chopped ham or cooked bacon, diced onion, frozen corn or different spices or cheeses to your potato mix. How do I serve my potato cakes? You can eat them either warm or cold (warm is my favourite!)

What type of potatoes are used by Mcdonald's? ›

Our World Famous Fries® are made from quality potatoes, including Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet, Umatilla Russet and the Shepody. The suppliers we work with first peel, cut and blanche the potatoes. They then dry, partially fry and quickly freeze the fries for our restaurants.

Why Soak potatoes in cold water before cooking? ›

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

What does adding an egg to mashed potatoes do? ›

They just taste rich (almost impossibly so). They do, however, feel creamy, because egg yolks are also emulsifiers (and are, in fact, the ingredient in mayo that makes it an emulsifier). The yolk emulsifies water and fat to create a cohesive, velvety bite, while providing a little fat and body of its own.

Why add butter before milk in mashed potatoes? ›

Easy enough, right? However, using the same quantity of milk and butter, but heating them separately and adding the melted butter first to the mashed potatoes, you end up with a butterier tasting potato dish. The fat absorbs into the cells of the potato, which have swelled and pulled apart from one another.

Why do cakes turn out crumbly? ›

Cakes crumble because they've dried out too much. From years of baking, I know that dry cakes happen for one of two reasons; using too much of your dry ingredients or over-baking your cake.

Why won t my potato pancakes fall apart? ›

If your pancakes aren't sticking together while you form them, you can add a bit more egg, or put the potato mixture into the refrigerator to firm up again. If your pancakes are feeling too wet and won't form into a patty you can add a bit of flour to act as a binder.

Why do my cakes always fall? ›

This is because too much batter in one cake tin may result in the weight of the batter being too much for the cake to support, causing the cake to collapse and sink in the middle as it bakes. This is especially true for cake recipes which have a more softer, delicate structure to them, which many of my cake recipes do.

How do you thicken mashed potato pancakes? ›

Add a Thickening Agent

This is the most common way to thicken mashed potatoes. You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well.

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