This recipe for Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake makes a beautiful, tender, light-textured cake that’s incredibly moist and indulgent.
Being a food blogger, I often have friends that like to surprise me with their bakes. One of my friends made a delicious chocolate cake and proudly asked me to guess the secret ingredient. When she announced, mayonnaise, I must admit I was pretty amazed. I quickly got to work on creating my own version of her delicious cake.
Why This Recipe Works
- Mayonnaise adds richness and moisture to this incredible cake.
- Using coffee compliments the chocolate and gives an extra depth of flavor.
- Buttermilk helps give the cake extra moisture and sublte tangy taste.
Using Mayonnaise In Cake
Being made mainly made of eggs, vinegar, and oil, mayonnaise adds extra moisture, and rich flavor to cakes and produces a light tender crumb.
This cake has a deep chocolatey flavor that pairs perfectly with my Chocolate Glaze that’s smooth and creamy without being too sweet.
Ingredients Notes
- Flour– Use all-purpose (plain) flour. I recommend a good quality unbleached all-purpose flour with 4-5g of protein).
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda be sure to check the date on your package as out-of-date products may not add the lift you need.
- Cocoa Powder– I use unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but any unsweetened variety will do.
- Sugar– this recipe calls for granulated sugar to keep things simple, but I use superfine sugar (aka caster sugar) because I like the way it easily mixes into the batter.
- Mayonnaise – Full-fat mayonnaise is essential for moisture in this recipe as it’s replacing any other fats in the cake such as butter or oil.
- Eggs – Use large eggs.
- Buttermilk– I’ve full or reduced-fat buttermilk in this recipe with the same result.
- Coffee – I used strong, brewed coffee, but you can instant coffee or espresso powder to make yours. The stronger the coffee, the more it enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Vanilla Extract: You can use anything from imitation vanilla flavor to pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Salt: Regular table salt is fine to add seasoning and enhance the flavors.
How To Make Your Own Buttermilk
To make your own buttermilk at home, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Full-fat milk is best, low-fat or skimmed milk will still work. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes. The mixture may look a little curdled, but that’s fine.
For this recipe: 1 cup of butter milk = 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
How to Make Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients and mix well.
- Stir the wet mixture and dry mixture together along with coffee.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Make the ganache.
- Cover the cake with ganache frosting.
- Serve and enjoy!
Step by Step Instructions
In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl add mayonnaise, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Then add the cup of coffee.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry.
Mix until combined.
Add to the greased pan.
For this cake, I used the Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt Pan which you can get at Amazon. (#paidlink).
Bake and allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.
Glaze before serving if desired (I used my chocolate glaze recipe).
Serve and enjoy!
Erren’s Top Tips
- To avoid the cake sticking to the pan, use a good quality, non-stick pan that’s greased well with baking spray or shortening (butter can cause sticking).
- Always use full-fat mayonnaise, low fat and light mayonnaise will not provide the moisture you need.
- Be sure to follow the steps of the recipe. Mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately before combining them helps to avoid overmixing.
- Try to use the best quality cocoa powder you can find. It really makes a huge difference to the flavor of your cake.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Storage – Store covered at room temperature for up to three days.
Freezing Instructions: Freeze the cooled, unfrosted cake wrapped well for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Mayonnaise is used in a chocolate cake as a replacement for eggs. You cannot taste the mayonnaise but it adds an extra velvety texture to a traditional chocolate cake.
You can store this cake just as you would with any other cake, in an airtight container. It will last for up to three days at room temperature. To freeze, use a freezer-safe container and freeze (unfrosted) for up to three months.
Other Great Chocolate Recipes
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Let’s Make Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup brewed coffee cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C
- Grease and lightly flour a 12 cup bundt cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, mayonnaise, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
- Stir the mayonnaise mixture and the coffee into the flour mixture until combined. The batter will be thin. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes before turning it out. Remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely.
Tips + Notes
- It’s very important to allow your cake to cool. If you move it while it’s still warm it is likely to fall apart.
- Always use full-fat mayonnaise, any other mayonnaise will not give you the desired results.
- Try to use the best quality cocoa powder you can find. It really makes a huge difference to the flavor of your cake.
- It’s very important to allow your cake to cool. If you move it while it’s still warm it is likely to fall apart.
- Always use full-fat mayonnaise, any other mayonnaise will not give you the desired results.
- Try to use the best quality cocoa powder you can find. It really makes a huge difference to the flavor of your cake.
Dea says
Sounds absolutely delicious. I’d love to make this recipe for my granddaughters birthday but I need to use cup 4 cup gluten free flour. Do you think this recipe will work with this GF flour??
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for your kind words! You can definitely use Cup4Cup gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Cup4Cup is known for its excellent performance in baking, and it should work well here. Just make sure to measure it the same way as the regular flour. Enjoy baking, and I hope your granddaughter loves her birthday cake!
Carole Schulz says
can this recipe be used for cupcakes?
Erren's Kitchen says
You absolutely can!! It should take roughly about 18-22 minutes to bake, but definitely keep an eye on them. You can insert a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Please let us know how it turns out!
Monica Santos says
This was a great tasting cake. I’ve made it twice.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much for the awesome feedback, Monica!! So glad you loved it!
Debrah P says
I love this recipe. can you use less cocoa powder?
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you, Debrah!!
Reducing the amount of cocoa powder in any chocolate cake recipe will affect the chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder is a key ingredient in providing the rich chocolate taste to the cake.
If you have a specific reason for wanting to use less cocoa powder, you can certainly experiment with adjusting the quantity. I recommended to just make small adjustments and test the results to find the balance that suits your preferences.
doris says
I made mayonnaise cake and will try this one but replace the coffee since I don’t drink it
Erren's Kitchen says
You can certainly omit the coffee from the recipe if you prefer not to use it. Coffee is often added to chocolate cake recipes to enhance the chocolate flavor, but you can still achieve a delicious result without it.
If you decide to leave out the coffee, you can substitute it with an equal amount of hot water or even milk. This will help maintain the liquid content in the recipe without adding the coffee flavor.
Feel free to experiment and adjust the recipe to suit your preferences. The cake should still turn out moist and indulgent without the coffee. Enjoy baking!
Carrie M says
I’m trying this cake for my husband’s birthday. I love the texture of chocolate chips in cake, do you think it would be too much if I put a layer of chips on the bottom of the pan? Thanks so much!
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Carrie! What a delightful idea for a birthday cake! Adding a layer of chocolate chips to the bottom of the pan can bring an extra layer of richness and texture to the cake. To ensure the chocolate chips distribute evenly, you may want to toss them in a bit of flour before placing them in the pan. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom during baking. I hope it turns out wonderfully for the celebration! Please come back and let us know how you liked it with the added chocolate chips.
Carrie says
OMG this cake!!! It’s the perfect balance of fudgy, but not overly too sweet. It is so MOIST you won’t even believe! My oven must be slow, I had to add like 10 min. But the edges didn’t even burn, it was perfect! The hubby said it’s going to be his birthday staple, it’s the best chocolate cake we’ve ever had!! Adding the chocolate chips created a little more texture which we enjoyed. Thank you so so much!!!
Erren's Kitchen says
This is the BEST feedback, Carrie! Thank you so much for taking the time to share how much you and your husband loved it!! That makes us so happy 🥰
Donella says
thus is not the original recipe
I have my mom’s from the 50′
Erren Hart says
Hi Donella, I’m not sure what you’re looking to find, but this is my version of Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake.
Erin says
Wow!!!! So glad I came across this!! It’s so tasty! Thank you!
Erren's Kitchen says
That is wonderful to hear! Thank you for taking time to leave feedback. We are so happy that you love the recipe! We hope you try more in the future! ❤️
Madison says
can I make this same recipe in regular cake pans? I know it will impact the baking time but would it change the outcome of the flavor or texture?
Erren's Kitchen says
Yes, you can adapt this bundt cake recipe for regular cake pans. However, keep in mind that the baking time and possibly the temperature may need adjustment. Here’s a general guide on how to modify the recipe for standard cake pans:
Adjust Baking Time and Temperature:
Preheat your oven according to the new pan size. For standard cake pans, it’s usually around 350°F (176°C).
Keep an eye on the cakes as they bake. Smaller or shallower pans may require less time, so start checking for doneness a bit earlier than the original recipe suggests.
Selecting Cake Pan Size:
Determine the size of your standard cake pans. For example, if using 9-inch round pans, this recipe might fit into two or three of them, depending on the depth.
Adjust the amount of batter in each pan to ensure even baking. You may need to fill the pans a bit less than halfway to avoid overflow.
Monitoring Doneness:
Use the toothpick test to check for doneness. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter), the cake is done.
Potential Texture/Flavor Impact:
In general, changing the pan shape and size may affect the texture and baking time, but it shouldn’t drastically alter the flavor if you maintain the ingredient proportions.
Thinner cakes tend to bake faster, so keep an eye on them to prevent over-baking.
Cooling Time:
Even when using standard cake pans, it’s crucial to allow the cakes to cool before removing them from the pans. This helps them set and prevents them from falling apart.
Remember that baking is somewhat of an experiment, and it might take a trial or two to get the timing exactly right for your specific pans and oven. The flavor should remain consistent if you maintain the ingredient ratios, so feel free to adapt the recipe to suit your preferred pan size. We hope it turns out well for you! Please let us know how it comes out.😊
Paivi Minnie says
This is by far , THE BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever made!! It is requested every week by my family and I happily oblige !
It’s so moist and has the perfect crumb, not too dense and not too light . It truly doesn’t need frosting, so I pour a chocolate glaze over and let it drip down . Absolute perfection!!
Erren's Kitchen says
Wow, Paivi!! What a fantastic review! We are so happy that it has been come a dessert staple for your family!! Thank you so much for giving it a try and loving it!