The Famed Potato Starch Flour Cake

Potato starch flour is one of the rarer culinary treasures. Certainly not as rare as truffles or ramps, but let me just say, the local Kroger doesn't carry it.

I was lucky enough to find some at the Gourmet Market on Kingston Pike, and stored it in my pantry in hopes of making this cake.

When I asked my mom and then my aunt for the recipe, they had vague notes from my grandmother that I found troublesome. I tried to follow the directions as best I could - but the result was less than satisfying, though the frosting that my aunt described was delicious.

Recently, I have learned that my nana (in the traditional Italian sense) had given the recipe to a friend of her back in the 1950s to be used in an Italian cookbook. The Complete Italian Cookbook [La Cucina] by Rose L. Sorce to be precise.

Luckily, though this book is out of print, I was able to secure a copy for myself from Amazon.com (for $4!) and now have the full story.......

Rose Carini's Potato Starch Flour Cake
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup potato starch flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add 1/2 cup of sugar and beat some more. Beat egg yolks until lemony in color, then add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until thick. Fold in the egg whites, then add the flour, baking powder and vanilla.

Bake in torte pan for 20 minutes.

Ricotta Filling (also works as cannoli filling)
2 cups sugar
8 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 pounds Ricotta cheese
1 chocolate almond bar, chopped (alternatively, a cup of chocolate chips)
2 1/2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 Tablespoons candied fruit (optional)
pistachio nuts

Scald the milk, add the sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Cook until it forms a thick custard, then cool and add Ricotta, fruit and chocolate.

Split the cooled cake into 2 layers and spread with filling, with a generous portion on top. If the filling thickens too much, it can be thinned with a little milk.

Lemon filling
1 package cooked lemon pudding
2 cups heavy cream
powdered sugar

Cook the pudding according to package directions, whip the cream - fold together once the pudding cools.