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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake is a rich, moist, and decadent dessert that’s super easy to make! The mayonnaise adds extra moisture and creates a soft, tender crumb. Whether for a special occasion or just because it’s sure to impress!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft and Tender Texture: The mayonnaise replaces butter or oil to keep the cake soft and moist without making it greasy or dense.
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: It has a deep, decadent chocolate taste in every bite. It’s sweet but not too sweet!
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Great for birthdays, holidays, or an everyday treat! My family used to always request my classic white cake or this butter pecan cake, but this one has become a new favorite!
Mayonnaise in a Cake?
Ok, I know at first glance, mayonnaise in chocolate cake might sound a little weird, but trust me, it’s so good! Mayonnaise is made from eggs and oil. The cake doesn’t have any other oil or fat in it. That is what the mayo adds. The mayonnaise doesn’t leave any taste behind. Instead, it helps the cake to be very moist without having to add something like sour cream or extra oil and liquid to achieve that. I can’t wait for you to try it!
Ingredients Needed
How to Make Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
This chocolate cake recipe is so simple to make! Just stir the ingredients together, pour the batter into a pan, and bake. It’s an easy and delicious dessert that comes together in just 10 minutes of prep time. Perfect for beginner bakers!
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9 x 13 x 2-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, warm coffee, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine: Add the flour mixture to the mayonnaise mixture and gently whisk together until fully combined.
- Bake, Cool, and Frost: Fill the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back lightly when pressed on or a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it. I like to use my chocolate buttercream! You can also just dust it with powdered sugar and serve.
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Tips and Variations
Use these tips to take your cake from good to great! Trust me, one taste, and you’ll never want a store-bought cake again!
- Do I have to use coffee? You don’t have to use coffee in this cake, although I do recommend it. It adds the most incredible depth to the chocolate flavor. The coffee can be replaced with buttermilk or hot water.
- Can I use Miracle Whip instead? Yes, you can use Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise.
- Don’t use Dutch process cocoa powder! For this cake, do not use Dutch process cocoa powder. It has been neutralized, so it will not react the same way with the other ingredients. Your cake may end up sinking in the middle.
- Some Suggested Toppings: I made my Chocolate buttercream frosting to top my cake. But you could use cream cheese frosting, vanilla frosting, a dusting of powdered sugar, cherry pie filling, fresh strawberries, or just dig in without any topping at all!
How to Store Leftover Cake
- Room Temperature: Store chocolate mayonnaise cake covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Refrigerator: To keep fresh for up to 7 days, place in an airtight container in the fridge.
- To Freeze: The unfrosted cake may be baked and frozen for up to 3 months. Let the cake cool to room temperature before wrapping it tightly in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap. Let it thaw at room temperature before enjoying. I recommend frosting it while either frozen or chilled.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
If you love chocolate cake, you’re in the right place! We have plenty of favorite recipes you’ll want to try. They’re perfect for any occasion and always a crowd-pleaser!
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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ¼ cup warm coffee
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch process
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons milk more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13 x 2-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk ¾ cup mayonnaise, 1 ¼ cup warm coffee, 2 large eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the flour mixture to the mayonnaise mixture and gently whisk together until fully combined.
- Fill the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back lightly when pressed on or a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Beat 1 cup unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy. Add the 3 cups powdered sugar and beat slowly until incorporated, increasing the speed to beat it more fully.
- Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, and add the ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix on medium-high until completely smooth and combined. If the frosting is too stiff, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it is a spreadable consistency.
- Once the cake has cooled, dollop spoonfuls evenly around the cake and spread. I recommend putting your cake in the fridge or freezer for an hour before frosting.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I would like to make this, but I’m uncertain about the weight of the ingredients, especially the flour. By scoop-and-sweep, for me a cup can weigh up to 150 grams, by other ways as little as 120.
For baked goods would it be possible to express weight in grams?
Hi David, unfortunately we do our measurements in volume, not in weight. The best practice when measuring flour by volume for baked goods is to fluff the flour with a spoon, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with the flat edge of a butterknife. Good luck!