This article is part of Mayo Week – seven days celebrating all things mayonnaise – presented in partnership by our friends at Primary Kitchen.
Confession: This cake involved subterfuge. After cooking it and tasting a slice, I knew I was going to come across an exceptionally good product. recipe. I’ve always had trouble with chocolate cakes, finding the batter too runny and the resulting cakes way too soft to be easily frosted. Classic chocolate cake recipes never really taste rich enough for me. This recipe from the bottom of the cocoa box was my main competitor so far.
So I had to share the cake, of course. But here is the problem: This cake is made with a whole! cup! of! Mayonnaise! I felt that a little information would put people off before giving them a chance. Instead, I served it without a word about the mayonnaise. Everyone love it, swooning over texture and flavor. Once the last crumbs were eaten, and there were only traces of icing left, I confessed.
picture by Posie Harwood
Even though it sounds weird and your friends will wince, mayonnaise makes perfect sense in a cake. It is made with eggs and oil, both of which are normal cake ingredients. The recipe is an old fashioned recipe from the Hellman’s Mayonnaise Archives. Mayonnaise replaces the oil traditionally used in chocolate layer cakes.
You cannot taste any mayonnaise at all; it simply serves to give the cake a wonderfully velvety texture and a perfectly moist crumb. To get the best chocolate flavour, use a very good quality cocoa powder. You’ll see that the recipe calls for espresso powder: it’s entirely optional. It’s okay if you leave it out, but a pinch of espresso powder really helps to enhance the flavor of the chocolate when baking. It won’t add any coffee flavor in that small amount.
picture by Posie Harwood
In these photos, I used a basic caramel sauce to fill my cake and a simple chocolate buttercream to frost the exterior. You can do the same, or you can fill and glaze the whole thing with chocolate buttercream. You can also go in many other directions using the cake recipe as a base: Peanut Butter Frosting would be fantastic. Seven Minute Frosting would be a great option, especially if you want something less rich. You could use vanilla buttercream, dulce de leche frosting, or even serve the cake plain with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Any flavor that pairs with chocolate will work here, so go for it. He East cake after all, and when it comes to cake, there’s no holding back.
Ingredients
2 |
cups of plain flour |
2/3 |
cup unsweetened cocoa powder |
1 1/4 |
teaspoons baking soda |
1/4 |
teaspoon of baking powder |
1/2 |
teaspoon espresso powder (optional, to enhance the chocolate flavor) |
3 |
eggs, at room temperature |
1 2/3 |
cup of sugar |
1 |
teaspoon of vanilla extract |
1 |
cup of mayonnaise |
1 1/3 |
water cups |
2 |
cups of plain flour |
2/3 |
cup unsweetened cocoa powder |
1 1/4 |
teaspoons baking soda |
1/4 |
teaspoon of baking powder |
1/2 |
teaspoon espresso powder (optional, to enhance the chocolate flavor) |
3 |
eggs, at room temperature |
1 2/3 |
cup of sugar |
1 |
teaspoon of vanilla extract |
1 |
cup of mayonnaise |
1 1/3 |
water cups |
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Do you think you’ll put mayonnaise in your next chocolate cake? Tell us in the comments!