Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
This moist, velvety chocolate mayonnaise cake is topped with a creamy buttercream frosting for the ultimate chocolatey indulgence.
Mayonnaise Cake
With its moist, velvety crumb and rich chocolate frosting, this Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake is the best chocolate cake you’ll ever taste!
Chocolate cake has been my dessert of choice since childhood, and Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake has always been my favorite recipe. It is so much moister than any other type of cake and it is an easy from-scratch recipe that even a beginning baker can pull off (my 10-year old daughter baked the cake photographed in this blog post!)
This is an old-fashioned dessert stemming from the Great Depression when certain ingredients were not always readily available. It is a recipe that has been used by our family for years, tried and tested to make it absolutely perfect. The frosting is a classic chocolate buttercream that is not overly sweet, so the chocolate flavor really shines.
Note: Affiliate links provided for your convenience in re-creating this recipe; read disclosure policy here.
I first shared this recipe in 2018, in honor of the release of Presto & Zesto in Limboland, a newly uncovered work from renowned author Maurice Sendak (of Where the Wild Things Are fame). In the story, Sendak and his best friend Arthur Yorinks (nicknamed Zesto and Presto, respectively) enjoy many a slice of chocolate cake together.
Since this is one of my all-time favorite recipes, I decided to update the post this year with new photos and video, because my photography skills have improved a bit!
Why Use Mayonnaise In Cake?
Mayonnaise is essentially a combination of oil and eggs, both of which are common cake ingredients. Using mayonnaise in cake batter has several benefits:
- Moistness – The oil in mayonnaise helps create a moist and tender crumb to the cake and also helps prevent it from drying out.
- Flavor – The fat content in real mayonnaise adds a richness and depth of flavor.
- Texture – The egg in the mayonnaise acts as an emulsifier, helping to combine the wet and dry ingredients in the batter for a fine-grained, velvety texture.
I’ve tried a lot of different chocolate cake recipes in my lifetime, but Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake truly “takes the cake!” (All puns intended!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/3 cup water
Chocolate Frosting Ingredients
- 2 cups butter (room temperature)
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Instructions
To Prep: Preheat oven to 350° F; grease and flour two 9-inch round pans and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with an handheld electric mixer), beat together the eggs and sugar until frothy. Add the vanilla extract, mayonnaise, and water, and mix until fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, beating as you add, until just incorporated.
- Pour batter into your prepared pans and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Directions
- Add all frosting ingredients to stand mixer bowl (or large mixing bowl with a hand mixer) and beat until fluffy and holds a peak.
- If the frosting is too thick to scoop or spread, add another splash of milk.
- If needed, level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife before frosting.
- Add a large scoop of frosting to the top of the bottom cake and spread gently until you have an even layer about 1/2 inch thick. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the rest of the cake to your liking.
Video Demo:
Prep Tips
- Mayonnaise – For the best flavor and texture, always use real mayonnaise. Avoid using light or fat-free mayo as this is essentially watered down and won’t have the right fat content to make a moist cake.
- Mix-Ins – While the original recipe does not have any mix-ins, adding chocolate chips to the cake batter before baking is a delicious upgrade with pops of chocolate flavor! Another fun variation is to add chocolate shavings or sprinkles on top of the frosting.
- Frosting – We doubled the frosting recipe from the original recipe, because I would rather have too much frosting than not enough. You may end up with a little bit of frosting left over. But you can absolutely use it all if you love thick frosting!
- Storage – Keep leftovers in an airtight container or cake carrier at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
More Chocolate Layer Cake Recipes To Try:
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- whisk
- 2 9-inch round cake pans
Ingredients
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake:
- 2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 1 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/3 cup water
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
- 2 cups butter room temperature
- 7 cups powdered icing sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- To Prep: Preheat oven to 350° F; grease and flour two 8-inch round pans and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with an handheld electric mixer), beat together the eggs and sugar until frothy. Add the vanilla extract, mayonnaise, and water, and mix until fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, beating as you add, until just incorporated.
- Divide the batter between your prepared pans and bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Buttercream Directions
- Add all frosting ingredients to stand mixer bowl (or large mixing bowl with a hand mixer) and beat until fluffy and holds a peak.
- If the frosting is too thick to scoop or spread, add another splash of milk.
- If needed, level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife before frosting.
- Add a large scoop of frosting to the top of the bottom cake and spread gently until you have an even layer about 1/2 inch thick. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the rest of the cake to your liking.
Video
Notes
- Mayonnaise - For the best flavor and texture, always use real mayonnaise. Avoid using light or fat-free mayo as this is essentially watered down and won't have the right fat content to make a moist cake.
- Mix-Ins - While the original recipe does not have any mix-ins, adding chocolate chips to the cake batter before baking is a delicious upgrade with pops of chocolate flavor! Another fun variation is to add chocolate shavings or sprinkles on top of the frosting.
- Frosting - We doubled the frosting recipe from the original recipe, because I would rather have too much frosting than not enough. You may end up with a little bit of frosting left over. But you can absolutely use it all if you love thick frosting!
- Storage - Keep leftovers in an airtight container or cake carrier at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Be sure to pin our Chocolate Mayo Cake on Pinterest:
This recipe was originally created as a part of a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Maurice Sendak Foundation. It was updated in September 2024 with new photographs and video content.
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