How many kilojoules are in a potato cake (or potato scallop)?
A battered fried takeaway potato cake (about 90 g) is roughly 790 kJ (189 Cal). The same thing oven-baked at home is closer to 585 kJ (140 Cal), because it hasn't soaked up frying oil. Call it a potato cake in Victoria or a potato scallop / scollop in NSW and Queensland - it's the identical battered, deep-fried slice of potato, and it's the batter and the oil doing the numbers, not the spud.
Key numbers
- ~880 kJ/100 g fried · ~650 kJ/100 g oven-baked
- One takeaway potato cake (~90 g): ~790 kJ
- Two fried: ~1,580 kJ
- Chicken salt is basically free; the scoop of chips beside it is where it climbs
Potato cakes / scallops by type
| Item | Per 100 g | Serve | Energy | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potato cake / scallop, battered, fried, takeaway | ~880 kJ/100 g | 90 g (1) | 790 kJ | 189 Cal |
| Frozen potato cakes, air-fried at home | ~750 kJ/100 g | 90 g (1) | 675 kJ | 161 Cal |
| Potato scallop, oven-baked at home (less oil) | ~650 kJ/100 g | 90 g (1) | 585 kJ | 140 Cal |
| Mini / thin-cut potato cake, fried | ~880 kJ/100 g | 55 g (1) | 485 kJ | 116 Cal |
How the order adds up
| What you order | Energy | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| One fried potato cake | 790 kJ | 189 Cal |
| One oven-baked at home | 585 kJ | 140 Cal |
| Two fried | 1,580 kJ | 378 Cal |
| Potato cake + small chips (150 g) | ~2,000 kJ | 478 Cal |
| Two cakes + chicken salt | ~1,590 kJ | 380 Cal |
| Potato cake, dim sim + small chips | ~2,700 kJ | 645 Cal |
Reading the potato cake without ruining it
- Fried vs oven-baked is the real lever. Baking the same potato cake at home saves roughly 200 kJ because it skips the oil the batter would soak up - the potato inside barely changes. If you want the number lower without giving it up, that's the swap that does it.
- Count the serve, not the single. One potato cake is a snack; two with a scoop of chips is most of a takeaway feed on its own, so it's the number of them (and what's beside them) that adds up.
- Chicken salt is basically free. It's salt and flavour, not kilojoules, so it adds almost nothing - it's the batter and the fry that carry the energy.
- Cake or scallop, it's the same number. The name splits the country (potato cake in VIC, potato scallop/scollop in NSW and QLD); the kilojoules don't care. Knowing the number just lets you pick fried or baked, and how many, on purpose.
Stop guessing the number
OzCal logs a couple of potato cakes in about five seconds: snap it, scan the barcode or search it. Kilojoules the way the label shows them, on 85,621 verified Australian foods.
Common questions
How many kilojoules in a potato cake?
A battered fried takeaway potato cake (about 90 g) is roughly 790 kJ (189 Cal); oven-baked at home it's closer to 585 kJ (140 Cal).
Is a potato cake the same as a potato scallop?
Yes - it's the same battered, deep-fried slice of potato. "Potato cake" is the Victorian name; "potato scallop" or "scollop" is used in NSW and Queensland. The kilojoules don't change with the name.
Is a potato cake healthier baked than fried?
Oven-baked is lower in energy - about 650 kJ per 100 g baked versus about 880 kJ per 100 g deep-fried, so baking saves roughly 200 kJ on one. The oil the batter soaks up is the difference, not the potato.
How many kilojoules in two potato cakes?
About 1,580 kJ (378 Cal) for two fried; add a small scoop of chips and the pair-plus-chips is closer to 2,000 kJ.
Does chicken salt add many kilojoules?
Almost none - chicken salt is salt and flavouring, not energy. It's the batter and the deep-frying that carry the kilojoules in a potato cake.
Keep reading
Citing this page. OzCal (2026). "Kilojoules in a Potato Cake / Potato Scallop: Fried vs Oven-Baked | OzCal". Retrieved from https://ozcal.com.au/kilojoules/potato-cake-scallop. Last updated 2026-09-20. Figures are per the serve stated in each row, converted at 1 Cal = 4.184 kJ.