Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Chocolate

by: Posie (Harwood) Brien

October4,2022

9 Ratings

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Makes one 9" double layer cake

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

This Depression-era cake recipe might sound bizarre, but the addition of mayonnaise yields a beautifully moist chocolate cake with a rich flavor and tender crumb. Use your favorite frosting: Here, I did a caramel sauce for the filling and a simple chocolate buttercream, but 7-minute frosting, caramel frosting, or salted peanut butter frosting would all be delicious. Adapted from Hellman's. —Posie (Harwood) Brien

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe is a part of Mayo Week—seven days celebrating all things mayonnaise—presented in partnership by our friends at Primal Kitchen.
—The Editors

What You'll Need

Ingredients

2 cupsall-purpose flour
²/₃ cupunsweetened cocoa powder
1 ¹/₄ teaspoonsbaking soda
¹/₄ teaspoonbaking powder
¹/₂ teaspoonespresso powder (optional, for enhanced chocolate flavor)
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 ²/₃ cupssugar
1 teaspoonvanilla extract
1 cupmayonnaise
1 ¹/₃ cupswater

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (or grease and line with parchment rounds) two 9" round cake pans.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder (if using).
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla on high speed until very light and fluffy (at least 3 minutes).
Reduce the speed to low and add the mayonnaise, beating until well-combined.
Add the flour mixture and the water to the batter in three additions, alternating between the wet and dry. Mix until just combined. Don't overmix!
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Fill and frost with your favorite recipes: Any buttercream works well. In the photos, I filled the cake with a simple caramel sauce and frosted it in a basic chocolate buttercream.

Tags:

Cake
American
Chocolate
Mayonnaise
Dessert

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Rebecca McAllister
Allison Christian Hanner
Christina
Tim
Lisa

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41 Reviews

KRISTINE C. January 6, 2024

Made this cake this afternoon. It was a nice, standard chocolate cake, but nothing special. The best, “I’m eating a slice of this cake and already thinking about a second slice” cake is the Glossy Chocolate Cake from Cuisine at Home. It’s also a Depression era cake but contains no eggs. We’ve been making it for years, and coupled with the frosting, it is out of this world amazing.
https://www.cuisineathome.com/recipes/desserts/old-fashioned-chocolate-cake-with-glossy-chocolate-icing/
Try it, you must.

sweetpea November 21, 2023

Hi there! Just a quick question, please. Should the water be warm or boiling? Just wanted to double check before making. Thanks!

Allison C. August 6, 2018

I mean mayonnaise.

Risottogirl September 2, 2018

I have often found it to be overly moist...maybe you are baking it too long...

Julie M. August 28, 2023

The beauty of using mayo is that it delivers a moist cake, every.time. Other ingredients must be off? I hope you try it again as it is a great cake when you get it right!

Kelly September 18, 2017

Yum - Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake! This beauty was the star of every birthday in our home growing up. It took many shapes throughout the years, too--cupcakes, sheet cakes, and the beloved layer cake. We always new what it was and our guests did too, eating it with delight and served with a big glass of milk (today its served with coffee). This tried and true family delight is still one of my favorites!! I like to weigh and sift all the dry ingredients and mix them into the liquids 1/3 at a time. I get a fluffy, airy, gorgeous result every time.

Bmoore August 21, 2017

use a small package of frozen raspberries, cooked down & thicken up with cornstarch. Once the raspberry filling cools, That becomes my filling for the center layer of cake. Then ice entire cake with the dark chocolate ganache. It's incredible!

Patricia N. August 20, 2017

I am thinking of baking the cake in a loaf pan. Should I half the recipe or just use the whole recipe? Thank you.

Posie (. August 22, 2017

Definitely would halve the recipe, unless you want extra batter to use for cupcakes!

Rprp August 2, 2017

Make in advance...yes. very moist cake
You could even freeze it overnight

Christina August 2, 2017

this is an old post i know but anyone have an idea of how far in advance i could make this cake? would it last overnight unfrosted and saran wrapped? thanks!

Tim April 24, 2017

A link to the buttercream frosting mentioned would have been nice.

DK B. April 13, 2017

If a cake or cookie recipe only calls for baking soda, it likely uses acidic natural cocoa. If it only uses baking powder, it'll probably ask for Dutch process cocoa instead. If a recipe calls for both baking powder and baking soda, you'll need to follow the recipe to get the proper balance of acid and alkaline. Recipes that use baking powder will likely rise regardless of tweaking, but not as well; it's best to stick to the cocoa that a recipe calls for. So, I guess you probably could use Dutch process with that reasoning, but I used regular unsweetened natural cocoa powder.

milly April 13, 2017

can you use dutch process or natural cocoa powder since the recipe has both baking soda and powder? thanks!

DK B. March 28, 2017

My daughter is a chocoholic and absolutely loved this cake. She thought it was the best chocolate cake that she's ever had and has requested it for her 15 birthday.

Rprp March 23, 2017

I thought i saw a comment a few days ago from someone who said she/he did this recipe without the eggs. Did that comment go away? Or did I see it elsewhere?

S. R. March 23, 2017

There are two distinct posts - the article, and the recipe - and two distinct comment streams. The comment you remember is on the article.

Jennifer B. March 17, 2017

This sounds like it would make awesome cupcakes as well.... Any idea on cooking time?

Lisa March 16, 2017

Before I got to the "mayonnaise" part of this article I had a feeling it was a chocolate mayonnaise cake for its moistness. My mom has an old Chocolate Mayonnaise cake I use all the time.... but I always leave out the part when shared that it's made with mayo! I absolutely love the pictures taken for this recipe/article and the options for different icings and the idea to add a smudge of espresso powder!

Nan March 16, 2017

Or a 9x13? Sometimes it's easier for transporting somewhere...
Would it even work or too much batter? I'm very anxious to try this!

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why do people put mayonnaise in cake mix? ›

In a 2001 piece for the Los Angeles Times, food writer Marion Cunningham noted, “The use of mayonnaise, which seems puzzling in a cake, does two things: It gives the cake a luscious richness, and it keeps it moist and fresh tasting for much longer than a conventional cake.”

Show Me More ›

What does mayonnaise replace in a cake? ›

It's made of eggs and oil, both of which are normal cake ingredients. The recipe is an old-fashioned one that comes from the Hellman's mayonnaise archives. Mayonnaise replaces the oil that's traditionally used in chocolate layer cakes.

Explore More ›

Can I use mayo instead of eggs in a box cake mix? ›

Mayonnaise. Eggs are a key ingredient in mayonnaise, so it makes sense that it can be a perfect substitute when you're out of eggs. Use 3 tablespoons of mayo as an egg substitute.

Find Out More ›

Can I use mayonnaise instead of sour cream in cake? ›

Mayo is a great sour cream substitute. It can be used as a 1:1 replacement in both baking and dips. You'll lose some of that tang that sour cream offers, but it still does a great job at adding moisture to baked goods. Plus, it's relatively the same texture as sour cream, which makes it a great sub in dips and sauce.

Read On ›

Can you add mayonnaise to box cake mix? ›

1 box of chocolate cake mix 1 cup of mayo Sub mayo in place of the oil and eggs called for on your box of chocolate cake mix, add water as instructed, and bake as instructed. Top with frosting of choice (I made a chocolate glaze) and enjoy! It does not taste like mayonnaise but it is incredibly rich and moist!

Read The Full Story ›

What does mayo replace in cake mix? ›

#mayo #mayocake #bakingpsa.

Discover More Details ›

How much mayonnaise equals one egg in a cake? ›

Simply sub 3 tablespoons of mayo for each egg in your recipe. In addition to eggs, you could also try swapping out butter for mayo for a crunchier cookie.

Get More Info ›

Can I use mayo instead of eggs in cake? ›

Mayonnaise. If you have a jar of mayo in the fridge, you can use 3 tablespoons in place of one egg. "Mayonnaise has been used as an egg substitute because of its moistening properties and is best suited for cakes with strong flavors, like spice cakes and chocolate cakes," Tutunjian says.

How much mayo replaces one egg? ›

Methods. I used a substitution amount found on Allrecipes: 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise in place of 1 egg.

Can I use sour cream instead of eggs in cake mix? ›

Sourcream Tip

SOUR CREAM can also be used in place of yoghurt. Since sour cream has a higher fat content it can actually mimic the fats in an egg and make our recipe extra rich and moist. One egg can be replaced by ¼ cup of sour cream. It acts as just the perfect egg substitute!

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Can I use Miracle Whip instead of eggs for cake? ›

I have eaten a chocolate cake made with Miracle Whip and many times. It was a very popular cake developed out of necessity during World War II when shortening and eggs were scarce. It was moist and delicious, and proved again just how innovative Americans were during the "war effort." 1.

Read The Full Story ›

What does adding pudding to a cake mix do? ›

Put some pudding in the mix: Add a small box of pudding mix in with the cake mix. (Don't make the pudding.) The mix adds additional flavor, moistness, and a denser texture.

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Is it better to put sour cream or milk in a cake? ›

Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.

Keep Reading ›

What does adding sour cream to a cake batter do? ›

Sour cream helps to tenderize cakes.

The lactic acid in sour cream breaks down the proteins in the flour, making for a softer, more tender cake. This is especially important for chocolate cakes, which are often dry and tough. So, if you find your chocolate cake too dry, try adding some sour cream to the recipe!

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What does mayonnaise do in baking? ›

The mixture of eggs and oil in mayonnaise combines two crucial emulsifiers that you'd likely be using anyway, and the touch of acidity from the vinegar works with the leaveners, such as baking soda and baking powder, to give the cake a little lift. Plus, mayonnaise adds extra moisture, which is what you want in a cake.

What makes cake mix taste better? ›

Enhance With Extracts

Pure vanilla extract and pure almond extract are great options, but you could also try lemon extract or orange extract paired with fresh citrus zest. Although more expensive, vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla beans will provide even richer flavor to a boxed mix.

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