Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

slice of chocolate cake on plate and rest of cake on stand in background.

This moist, velvety chocolate mayonnaise cake is topped with a creamy buttercream frosting for the ultimate chocolatey indulgence.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, chocolate

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 689kcal

Author Stacey aka the Soccer Mom

Cost $15

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

Nutrition information is an estimate and is based on 12 servings per cake, using about 2/3 of the frosting for the cake (because we had a bit leftover when we frosted it).

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.

Nutrition