Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

When I was a pre-teen, I went through a phase where I wouldn’t eat anything with mayonnaise in it. About that same time my mom found a chocolate cake recipe, using mayonnaise, on the back of a mayonnaise jar. Stubbornly, I wouldn’t eat it, even though everyone told me how good it was. My anti-mayonnaise phase didn’t last too long and, eventually, I discovered how much I liked this cake!

Supposedly, this cake recipe originated in the Great Depression/WW II era when baking supplies were scarce and cooks had to be creative. Mayonnaise is basically eggs and oil, so using mayonnaise eliminates or reduces the need to use those ingredients. This cake is moist, chocolatey, and about as old-fashioned a cake there is.  On most Sundays I make dinner for my parents.  My Dad has a big sweet tooth so I always try to make a dessert, too.  I was craving a chocolate cake and remembered this recipe from long ago. It was as good as I remembered!

As it’s almost Halloween, I frosted the cake with a simple buttercream, tinted orange. I topped it with chocolate ganache and made a spider web effect with melted white chocolate. Along with a big glass of cold milk, this made a great Sunday evening dessert!

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/3 cups warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour (or use baking spray) two 9-inch round cake pans *; set aside.

In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; set aside.

In large bowl, with electric mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Beat in mayonnaise at low speed until blended.  Alternately beat in flour mixture with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. On wire racks, cool 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.  Frost, if desired, or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

*Or prepare cake as above and bake in a 13-x-9-inch baking pan for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.