Potthucke: A Savory German Potato Cake Recipe | Foodal (2024)

Potthucke is a traditional recipe from the Sauerland region of Westphalia, a part of northwestern Germany where I live.

This savory cake was originally considered poor man’s fare – it’s a simple potato-based dish made with just a few basic, inexpensive ingredients.

Potthucke has become a popular dish in local specialty restaurants and at festivals, as well as one that appears often on dinner tables at home, with different variations, presentations, and family traditions contributing unique twists.

I remember when my town held a Potthucke festival back in 1997! Everyone was invited to stop by and have a slice of this local specialty.

The name of this celebrated recipe is inspired by its baking method. The German “Potthucke” translates to “sitting in a pot” in English, and earlier methods commonly used for preparing Potthucke involved slowly baking the batter in a pot for several hours over low heat in a wood-burning oven.

You won’t need to wait as long to enjoy a slice now with an electric or gas stove, though you’ll still need to dedicate about an hour to baking.

The filling is a savory combination of mashed and shredded russet potatoes combined with chopped crispy bacon, lightly sauteed onions, eggs, and cream.

After it’s baked to form a solid loaf, Potthucke can be cut into slices and served as is. You can also lightly pan sear the slices in butter for a crispier crust.

You don’t have to wait for a special occasion or for the festival to come to town to give his easy German recipe a try – make it now to serve as part of a hearty dinner.

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Fill a medium pot with water and liberally season it with salt for boiling the potatoes. It just needs to be big enough to cover the potatoes with about 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil on the stovetop as you continue your prep.

Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides of the pan. The excess paper hanging over the edge will help you lift the baked loaf from the pan, and this will also help with easy cleanup.

Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler and place them in a bowl full of very cold water – this will keep them from browning.

Peel and dice the white onions using a sharp chef’s knife and sturdy cutting board. There are no tears here! Read up on how you can minimize onion-cutting misery in our guide.

Chop 4 slices of bacon into small pieces.

Crack 4 eggs into a small bowl. Lightly beat them with a whisk.

Measure out the cream, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Separate the leaves from the thyme sprigs, and grate the nutmeg using a microplane. In a pinch, you can use pre-ground nutmeg.

Step 2 – Boil and Mash Half of the Potatoes

Carefully place half of the potatoes in the boiling water. If you have 3 potatoes, this would be 1 1/2 potatoes. You can also slice the potatoes into large pieces to speed the cooking process.

Boil them until they are very soft and tender when pierced with a fork or knife. This will take about 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain in a colander and allow them to cool slightly in a large mixing bowl. You’ll use this bowl to mix all of the ingredients together to make the batter.

Mash with a potato masher or use a potato ricer to create a smooth mixture without any large lumps.

Step 3 – Cook the Bacon

While the potatoes are boiling, continue preparing the other ingredients that require cooking.

Place the chopped bacon in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon, moving the pieces around as needed to prevent burning, until they are evenly cooked and crispy. This will take about 5 minutes.

Keep your eye on the pan – small pieces of bacon cook faster than whole slices.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb some of the fat.

Leave the heat on medium and keep the pan on the stove – you’ll be using the rendered bacon fat to cook the onions in the next step.

Step 4 – Cook the Onions

Immediately add the chopped onions to the pan and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly. They should be slightly softened and translucent with some pieces just beginning to take on a little brown color.

Set aside in the pan to cool slightly.

Step 5 – Grate the Remaining Potatoes

Grate the remaining potatoes, using the largest holes on your box grater or the coarse shredding attachment on your food processor.

Grated potatoes will release quite a bit of water. To remove the excess, place them in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the liquid into the sink or bowl they were soaking in.

Step 6 – Combine Ingredients

Working quickly so the shredded potatoes won’t oxidize and turn brown, place the shredded potatoes, bacon, onions, cream, eggs, and all of the seasonings that you measured out in the bowl with the mashed potatoes.

Use a sturdy spoon to mix everything together until a thick, uniform batter forms.

Step 7 – Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and transfer the pan to the oven.

Bake until the cake is fluffy and golden brown on top – it should be dry and solid, and it shouldn’t jiggle when you gently shake the pain. This will take about 50 to 60 minutes.

If the center isn’t cooked, continue baking in 5-minute increments and check again.

Step 8 – Cool and Serve

Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Because the structure of the loaf is still going to be delicate directly out of the oven, it needs to set for about 30 minutes before you remove it from the pan.

Use the paper liner hanging over opposite sides of the pan to lift the loaf and place it on a clean cutting board.

Cut into thick slices with a chef’s knife, serve, and enjoy!

If you want to pan sear the slices, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large clean skillet until melted and slightly aromatic. Place two slices in the skillet and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Carefully flip and sear the other side for another 2 minutes.

Remove from the pan and serve immediately to enjoy the crispy crust!