Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake has to be one of the most decadent, delicious and easy cakes I have ever made! Simply combine all ingredients together, pour into a pan and bake. That is it! You will never want to use a prepared cake mix again once you try this recipe!
I’m definitely not a cake snob, I’m happy to use a boxed cake mix in a pinch (or even to doctor them up like in my favorite Chocolate Banana Cake). But seriously, this Mayonnaise Cake makes even boxed cake mixes seem like work! Mix ingredients together, pour into a pan, bake…done!
If you believe you are not a baker at heart, you’ll love this Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake recipe because it’s so easy – even you can bake it perfectly!
Don’t let the idea of mayonnaise in a cake scare you away. Mayonnaise is basically made of oil and eggs which are in pretty much every cake recipe and it truly makes this cake moist and decadent.
TIPS FOR A PERFECT CAKE
- Using full fat mayonnaise produces the best results. Light versions work but it will change the texture of the cake and make it chewier.
- Don’t overmix the batter. It may appear slightly lumpy but that is ok.
- Use room temperature eggs. If your eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. There are no eggs in this recipe but a great tip when baking cakes in general!
- When measuring flour it’s important to remember not to scoop it into the measuring cup directly from your flour container (this packs it down and measures too much flour). Simply spoon the flour into your dry measuring cup and level the excess off with a straight edge.
- Do not over bake your cake. Check it by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is good.
I can remember being a teenager and my friend’s mom made a mayonnaise cake. I have to admit that 3o years later, I still remember that moist tender cake and how amazing it was! When I got my hands on a pile of vintage recipe books and saw this recipe again, I knew I had to make it. There is a good reason this old fashioned mayonnaise cake recipe has been around for so long!
You can use any kind of frosting on this cake including my One Minute Easy Chocolate Frosting or my favorite Chocolate Ganache Frosting. This Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake is so wonderfully simple and unbelievably delicious that your friends will be asking for the recipe!
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
- 1 cup water lukewarm
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- 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.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I am 85 years old and I remember my aunt Mary from Kansas made this Mayonnaise cake when I was about 8 years old. I thought that it was a pretty good chocolate cake and just on a whim I looked it up and there it was on this web side! Who knew! I should have looked it up sooner!
Hello Denny, I am glad that this chocolate cake recipe is just like your Aunt Mary’s. Thank you for your comment and have a great rest of your day!
I remember this cake from my childhood! My Mom made it in a Bundt pan and iced it with peanut butter icing. Sooo good.
So easy great for vegans
I have been making this cake for nearly 40 years. It is my families absolute favorite. I don’t know what has changed but for the past few years, i just can’t get it to bake properly. The edges are very thin, middle nice and puffy OR it caves in in the middle. Is there an order to mixing the ingredients? Some secret to get it to bake to an even thickness across the cake? My daughter in law makes it also, and she seems to be having the same problems. UGH!!! Help!!!
So strange, Susan! I am sorry to hear that. There can be a lot of different reasons that would cause your cake to not rise properly. It could be your oven temperature, the baking soda you are using, or over mixing the batter. I hope that helps!
my cake didn’t raise at all it’s totally flat but didn’t fall. stupid Iiss an ingredient.? I do know it taste super ummy like to good
If it didn’t rise, it could be the baking soda you are using. Or it could be that the batter was over mixed causing it to fall. It also could be the temperature of your oven. If your oven isn’t getting hot enough it can cause the cake not to rise properly. Hopefully that helps!
I’m hoping this will turn out tasty after some frosting in the morning. it looks decadent (though a bit dark). I will say that mine was done in 20 mins and it’s on the well-done side. I wouldn’t cook it for 30!
I had to add 5 minutes lol maybe it’s an altitude thing
I made this from the recipe and it was so thick and baked like a crater cake so lumpy and just terrible. I think you left eggs out of the recipe!!! Will never use this recipe again it was for a party and couldn’t use it.
I am so sorry to hear that, Brenda! I have never had that issue before. This cake uses mayonnaise in place of the eggs so it should still turn out smooth and delicious!
Easiest cake ever! My go-to when teens want dessert and I want minimal effort! They like it frosted with vanilla buttercream and mini chocolate chips!
I have had mayonnaise cake before many, many years ago and absolutely loved it, but I’m wondering why this recipe doesn’t call for baking powder? I have not made this recipe yet, and I would like to, and I can’t even remember if baking powder goes into other mayonnaise cake recipes, but I do know it goes into many other cake recipes. I just want to make sure that baking powder doesn’t go into it before I use this recipe. Thank you!
For this recipe we use baking soda as our leavening agent.
you mentioned eggs However I don’t not see them in ingredients?
As mentioned in the write up, this recipe uses mayonnaise in place of eggs. Enjoy!
Can I use a Bundt pan for the chocolate mayonnaise cake?
Yes, you can use a Bundt pan for this cake. Grease it well so the cake doesn’t stick, and adjust the baking time as Bundt pans may need a bit longer. Keep an eye on it and do the toothpick test to be sure. I would love to hear how it turns out for you, Shirley!
I haven’t made a mayonnaise cake in ages! I’m not a cake lover, but this cake is amazing! The most moist I’ve ever had. Yummy! Thank you for reminding me. Now I have to go make one!
This recipe never gets old. I baked it a lot as a teenager and I am going on 70. This cake is still a cirowd pleaser
In recipes that call for 2 cups of flour….. do you use self rising or plain flour ???
This recipe uses all purpose flour.
I followed this recipe to the T and it was entirely dried out. driest cake I’ve ever eaten.
Moisture, delicious and easy to make. I made my own mayonnaise this week for the first time and then wondered what to do with it. So, I googled, “recipes using mayo” and decided to try this one. Holy moley was it a good idea! I followed the recipe, except for adding an additional tablespoon of flour due to living at high altitude. Oh my, this is so good!
I want to tier this mayonnaise cake. Will o need to add an egg or anything to keep it from falling apart?
Hi Carol, we have never tried tiering this recipe but other readers have made it as directed with good results. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
What if I want to use Baker’s chocolate instead of powdered cocoa; how should I adjust the ingredients in the recipe?
I have never tried this recipe with bakers chocolate. But I would love to hear how it turns out if you attempt it!
No where could I find how many servings you are basing your nutritional information on. That is EXTREMELY important to someone who needs to know the net carbs information for medical reasons.
Sorry for the confusion Wally. The nutrition information is for one serving which is 1/16 of the cake. If knowing the exact nutritional information is important for medical reasons, we recommend using a nutrition app like MyFitnessPal and inputting the ingredients and brands that you used in the recipe for the most accurate information. I hope this helps!
I love this recipe. The family loves this recipe, too. I used 1.5 tsps of baking soda because of other reviews and it set fine. I forgot the vanilla, but the cake was still delicious.
Thank you for posting this recipe.
I have made this cake before and it is amazing!! I was just wondering if it can be frozen after baking and then pulled out when ready to be decorated and eaten?
I am so glad you love this cake Holly! While I haven’t frozen it, I’m sure it’ll work fine! Just make sure to wrap it really well. Enjoy!