1. Bake or microwave potato until soft.

2. Force pulp through a coarse sieve or potato ricer.

3. There should be 1 cup lightly packed.

4. Set aside to cool.

5. Preheat oven to 350F.

6. butter sides of an 8 1/2-inch spring form pan, line base with a circle of baking parchment; butter the parchment.

7. Using a nut mill, grind almonds to powder, stir in baking powder; set aside.

8. Beat egg whites until they start to stiffen, sprinkle with half of the sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating until stiff and glossy.

9. Beat butter with remaining sugar, then beat in egg yolks, brandy, and almond extract.

10. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in potato, ground almonds and egg whites.

11. Spoon into prepared pan; bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a tester comes out dry. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

12. Run a knife blade around edge before releasing sides of pan. Place cake, on the base, on a rack and let cool completely.

13. Cake will sink slightly in the middle.

14. Reverse cake onto a plate, peel off paper and place right side up on a serving plate.

15. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

16. marzipan "POTATOES": You'll need 4 ounces marzipan or almond paste and powdered unsweetened cocoa.

17. Pinch off pieces of marzipan and roll into elongated balls, each about the size of a large marble.

18. Make these slightly irregular, like tiny new potatoes.

19. Roll in cocoa to simulate brown potato skin.

20. Cut several in half to show the white interior.

21. Arrange a little group on top of the cake, and place the rest in twos and threes around the edge of the plate.

22. Serves 10. PER SERVING: 235 calories, 5 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (5 g saturated), 76 mg cholesterol, 131 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

23. From an article by Jacqueline Mallorca, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/24/93.

24. March 2 1993.