Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

This chocolatey cake is ultra-fudgy and rich and bakes up deliciously moist every time. What’s the secret? Mayonnaise. Mayo may seem like an unusual ingredient for cake batter, but it’s a classic, old-fashioned hack used to create a cake with a decadent, tender crumb.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, chocolate mayonnaise cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 18

Total Time 33

Servings

Calories 358kcal

Author Robin Miller

Ingredients

For the cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup mayonnaise preferably full-fat
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting

1/2 cup 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar divided
2/3 cup cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a thin layer of neutral oil or butter.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, ½ cup of cocoa powder, and baking soda. Add the mayonnaise, water, and teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix until just blended. The mixture will be thick.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread out in an even layer. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out with moist bits clinging to it.
Cool the cake in the pan, on a wire rack. Cool the cake completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, in a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, 1 cup of the powdered sugar, 2/3 cup of cocoa powder, and two tablespoons of the milk. Beat until well blended. The mixture will be thick.
Add the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons of milk, and teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat until smooth and creamy.
Once the cake has cooled, spread the frosting all over the top.

Nutrition