This Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake is super moist, rich, and fudgy—and it’s super easy to make, too! Just add your favorite frosting and dig in!
Have you ever had a cake made with mayonnaise? It might sound strange, but it’s actually delicious! (I promise!) This chocolate mayonnaise cake is easy to make (it’s a one-bowl recipe!) and perfect for any occasion. It’s a little bit like my Copycat Portillo’s Chocolate Cake, but while that recipe is made with a box of cake mix, this one is made from scratch!
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe
Chocolate mayonnaise cake is one of those desserts that just seems too good to be true. But somehow, the combination of chocolate and mayonnaise results in a moist, rich cake that is absolutely delicious.
With its rich chocolate flavor and moist crumb, this cake is always a hit. The key to its moist texture is, of course, the mayonnaise. You might be thinking, “Gross! Mayo belongs on sandwiches and in salad dressing, not in cakes!” I get it! But trust me, you can’t taste it. (I mean, mayonnaise is oil combined with eggs, after all, and both of these are ingredients in chocolate cake!)
While I usually pair this chocolate mayonnaise cake with classic Homemade Chocolate Frosting, you can switch things up and go with Cream Cheese Frosting, or even a simple homemade whipped cream topping. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream for a perfect dessert!
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Not the cocoa mix you use to make hot cocoa!
- Mayonnaise – Any kind you like is fine.
- Hot water
How to Make 1-Bowl Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
1. Prepare
Preheat your oven to 350°F, then grease and flour a 9×13 inch cake pan. (Note that light-colored cake pans are best for baking cakes, rather than dark ones which can over-bake the edges.)
2. Make the Cake Batter
Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and beat on low speed until smooth using an electric mixer. (No whisk needed!)
3. Bake
Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Cool and Frost
Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack, then frost it with my homemade chocolate frosting or your frosting of choice.
How to Store Chocolate Mayo Cake
This cake can be stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or refrigerated for up to a week. (Note that the type of frosting you use will impact how the cake should be stored—a cream cheese frosting will need to be refrigerated, for example.) Chocolate mayonnaise cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months; wrap it tightly, then when you’re ready to eat it, let it thaw at room temperature.
FAQ
Adding mayonnaise to a cake eliminates the need to add oil and eggs, and it also yields a moist, tender crumb that makes a cake irresistible!
Yes, in this chocolate cake recipe, mayo is used instead of butter or oil and eggs. Because the mayo replaces the eggs too, you can’t simply add mayo to a recipe instead of oil; you’ll also need to omit the eggs for the recipe to work out.
Some of the best cakes I’ve had are mayo cakes! You’ll love the moistness, rich flavor, and also how easy it is to make this chocolate mayonnaise cake. (No need to crack eggs!)
More Easy Chocolate Desserts
- Chocolate Lasagna
- Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
- Homemade Chocolate Cake (if you want cake layers)
- Chocolate Cupcakes (From a Doctored Cake Mix!)
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.
- With a hand mixer, mix together.
- Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely.
