This single layer Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake recipe is ideal for those smaller gatherings. It's topped with a decadent homemade fudgy chocolate frosting and garnished with chocolate curls.

Easy Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe

This single layer chocolate cake is ideal for those times you need a smaller cake with less servings. While I love baking big beautiful Southern cakes they're not always suitable for every type of gathering. What does mayonnaise do? Using mayonnaise in cake batter eliminates the eggs. It's a throwback to 100 years ago when it first appeared during the Great Depression when eggs and dairy were hard to come by. It has a long and entangled history with it going mainstream in the 1930's when chocolate mayonnaise cake was introduced by the wife of a Hellman's salesman and was included in their cookbook. In the 1940's Kraft joined the mayonnaise cake craze when they introduced their Miracle Whip Cake. Fast forward a few decades and we still love making this iconic chocolate mayonnaise cake. It has a moist and tender crumb with the bonus of being simple to whip up in no time.

How to Make the Best Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe

What's the best mayonnaise to use for mayonnaise cake? Use a brand that you already enjoy and it will work like a dream.

Ingredients you'll need to make homemade Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake: All purpose flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, mayonnaise, vanilla extract and chocolate chips.
For the chocolate frosting you'll need: Powdered sugar, cocoa powder, butter, vanilla extract and warm milk.
Kitchen gadgets you'll need: A 9 inch springform pan or 9 x 9 inch pan, a hand mixer or a stand mixer, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a silicone spatula to scrape the batter from the bowl, an offset icing spatula, a cooling rack and a sheet pan and small spatula with a sharp edge to make the chocolate curls.
If you don't have buttermilk on hand no worries you can make your own. To make your own buttermilk: To each cup of whole milk, add 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand on the counter for 5 minutes, then stir and proceed with the recipe.
Store leftover Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake chilled or at room temperature for up to 5 days. it will keep the longest when chilled.

How To Make Chocolate Curls for Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Chocolate curls may look fussy but once you master them they form a fun topping for cakes and cupcakes with very little fuss. The key is to use a sharp edged spatula to scrape the chocolate from the back of the sheet pan.

To make chocolate curls:

Melt 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate with 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening in the microwave in 30 second increments, stopping to stir each time. Repeat until smooth.
Pour onto the back of a metal baking sheet or 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Use an offset spatula to spread evenly, very thin.
Place pan into freezer for 15 minutes to set or chill for 30-45 minutes.
Using the sharp edge of a small metal spatula, start on the shortest edge of the chocolate pushing the chocolate to roll into curls.
Use a skewer or toothpick to arrange on cake.

More Southern Style Cake Recipes to Make

This luscious Coconut Cream Cake is made in a 13 x 9 inch cake pan.
Easy Honey Bun Cake starts with a cake mix and no one will ever know.
My Easy Carrot Cake Recipe is made completely from scratch topped with cream cheese frosting and toasted pecans.
This single layer Flourless Chocolate Cake is naturally gluten free.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake is topped with a cinnamon spiced sugar topping.
Cherry Coca Cola Cake is a cherry twist on an old fashioned Coca Cola Cake.
Chocolate Cake Pops recipe from Ghiradelli.

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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Cooling time1

Total Time1 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate-cake-recipes, chocolate-mayonnaise-cake

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Frosting:
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup salted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or ¼ teaspoon almond extract)
4 tablespoon warm milk , plus additional as needed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 inch round springform pan or 9 x 9 inch square pan with baking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add buttermilk, mayo, and vanilla. Stir by hand to combine or use an electric mixer to beat just until smooth.
Fold in chocolate chips by hand. Pour evenly into prepared pan.
Bake for 45 minutes OR until a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean.
Cool in the pan on a cooling rack then remove ring and place onto a platter.
To make frosting: Whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa. In separate bowl use an electric mixer to cream butter and vanilla. Lower speed of mixer, adding sugar-cocoa mixture. Beat into butter on low speed, adding hot milk 1 tablespoon at a time repeating until smooth. Frost top of cooled cake.
Store leftovers in an airtight container chilled for up to one week.

Notes

To make your own buttermilk:

To each cup of whole milk, add 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand on the counter for 5 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.

To make chocolate curls:

Melt 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate with 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening in the microwave in 30 second increments, stopping to stir each time. Repeat until smooth.
Pour onto the back of a metal baking sheet or 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Use an offset spatula to spread evenly, very thin.
Place pan into freezer for 15 minutes to set, or chill for 3o-45 minutes.
Using the sharp edge of a small metal spatula, start on the shortest edge, pushing the chocolate to roll into curls.
Use a skewer or toothpick to arrange on cake.

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