2 med. sized white potatoes
3/4 c. water from cooked potatoes
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. plus 1 tsp. sugar
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or crumbled yeast cakes)
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, well beaten
Enough flour to make a soft dough (about 3 1/2 c.)
Topping (recipe follows)

Scrub, peel, and place potatoes in small saucepan. Cover generously with water and boil rapidly until potatoes are very tender. Drain, saving water. You will need 3/4 cup. If you do not heave enough, add additional hot water to make up that amount.

Mash potatoes through a ricer. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water to which 1 teaspoon sugar has been added.

Beat butter to cream it. A little at a time, beat in remaining cup sugar and salt, then eggs. Stir the 3/4 cup potato water into mashed potatoes, then add to egg mixture. Stir in yeast mixture. When well mixed, add 1 cup flour, beating constantly. Do not spare the beating. Add the second and third cups of flour the same way, small amounts at a time. Be sure to beat hard to make the gluten in the flour wake up and try not to have to add that last half cup. The dough should not be too stiff. Place a damp cloth (not wet, just damp) over bowl with dough and let rise. If you refrigerate it during this rest period, it will become firmer and still will rise to double in bulk but it will take a little more time. It is far better to allow a little more time for the rising than to try to stiffen the dough with extra flour.

Generously butter a deep oblong cake pan large enough for the cake to rise without topping, spilling off. When dough has doubled, thump it down and turn it out onto lightly floured surface. Sprinkle top lightly with flour and roll out with floured rolling pin to only a little more than 1/2 inch thickness and as close to the rectangular shape of the pan as you can. Place it in pan, punching it out towards sides and corners. Cover and let rise in warm place out of drafts (the unheated oven is about the best place for this in most kitchens) until doubled. Spread with topping and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes until done. Cool in pan before cutting.

TOPPING:

3/4 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. extra fine granulated sugar
2 eggs
Milk

Beat butter to cream it. Sift together flour and sugar, a little at a time; beat into butter mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each in thoroughly. By teaspoonfuls, add enough milk to make mixture the right consistency to spread (this could require 3 or 4 tablespoons of milk but don't get it too runny). Gently spread over risen dough.

This makes a large, coffeecake type of cake. The topping melts into it as it bakes and the actual top should be crisp but very moist and "goo-ey" underneath.