Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake: So Easy So Delicious
Rich, dense and squidgy this chocolate mayonnaise cake recipe is a surefire winner. What’s more, its a breeze to prepare. And the taste? Oh, it’s simply divine. The mayonnaise replaces the more normal eggs and butter, though vegan mayonnaise works brilliantly, so you can easily make it plant-based if you like. Serve as a luscious dessert with cream or crème fraîche.
About two years ago, there was a great series of Radio 4 plays about baking. The very first play was about making a bitter chocolate cake with mayonnaise. How weird I thought, then forgot all about it. A few days ago, I again heard mention of mayonnaise used in cakes. So maybe it wasn’t just a few crackpots in a play! In need of a cake for a camping trip, I fished out the recipe and set to.
Mayonnaise In A Cake, Really?
I have to say I thought it a very strange concept when I first came across using mayonnaise in cakes. But actually, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Mayonnaise is mostly a mix of eggs and oil, so it just replaces the eggs and oil or butter you’d usually use in a cake.
It means if you don’t have any eggs to hand or have run out of butter, you can whip out the mayonnaise jar from the fridge and use that instead.
However, the beauty of this cake is that you can easily make it plant-based. Just use vegan mayonnaise for this cake, rather than the ordinary stuff. I started with regular shop bought mayonnaise, but since I started making my own vegan mayonnaise, I now use that. However, I do have to do a certain amount of planning. I’d rather not have garlic or mustard flavouring my cake.
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
This chocolate mayonnaise cake is one of my absolute favourites. I’ve made a fair few chocolate cakes in my time. But this one is not only easy to make, it ticks my love-of-brownies box too, although without being anything like as sweet. It has a gorgeous crackly top which makes it even more irresistible.
Of course, I adapted it, but as I no longer have the original recipe, I’ve no idea now in what way. Although the wholemeal spelt and buckwheat flours are mine for sure. As is the vegan mayonnaise which I now tend to use.
You don’t have to use buckwheat flour or even spelt, but I do recommend them. If you like, you can use ordinary wholemeal flour and sub that for the buckwheat too.
The addition of ground almonds is one of the reasons why this cake is so special. They contribute to the flavour, of course, but they also help to give texture and keep this bake wonderfully moist.
That first time I made it, I topped the cake with a chocolate ganache, but it really doesn’t need it. In fact it’s so rich and delicious all by itself that a topping rather spoils it. Nowadays I just dust the top with either cocoa powder or icing sugar as the mood takes me.
How To Make Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
This chocolate mayonnaise cakes is one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make. All you need to do is whisk dry ingredients together then stir in the mayonnaise and melted chocolate. Easy peasy!
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Melt Chocolate
Break the chocolate into pieces and place a small pan. Pour the hot coffee over the top and leave the chocolate for a few minutes to melt.
If it doesn’t melt completely, place the pan over a gentle heat for a few minutes. Stir and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Step 2. Prepare Dry Ingredients
Weigh the two flours then sieve them into a large mixing bowl along with the baking powder and cocoa. You can either tip any bran left in the seive into the bowl, or if it’s really course, discard it. Weigh the ground almonds and add to the bowl followed by the sugar.
Give everything a good whisk to ensure it’s well mixed.
Step 3. Mix In Wet Ingredients
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and spoon in the mayonnaise. Stir from the inside out and as soon as it gets too dry add the cooled chocolate and stir that in too.
Stir everything together until combined, but try not to mix more than you need to. It’s never a good idea to overwork flour unless you’re kneading bread.
Step 4. Bake Cake
Scrape the mixture into a lined 22cm cake tin or lightly oiled silicone mould.
Then bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes. The cake is done when it’s risen up and is firm to the touch.
Leave in the tin to cool for ten minutes or so, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once completely cool, dust the top with cocoa powder or icing sugar, if liked.
Top Tip
If in doubt err on the side of underdone. A squidgy cake is usually still delicious whereas a dry cake just isn’t.
Bitter Chocolate Cake
The “bitter” in the title refers to the bitterness in the play, but I suspect with all that chocolate as well as coffee, it will be a cake for the discerning palate. As we won’t be tucking into this until we are safely ensconced in our holiday retreat, I’ll have to report back at a later date on the cake’s edibility.
Update 13 September 2009
Back from our break and I have to report that the cake was delicious. Bitter was an apt name though, as I thought it might be. All that dark chocolate and coffee played its part. Moist, rich and not too sweet, a little went a long way and lasted us most of the week. What about the mayonnaise? Well, if truth be told, we could taste it occasionally. But I think that’s because I didn’t mix it in as well as I should have.
Other Squidgy Chocolate Cakes You Might Like
- Chocolate banana cashew cake (vegan)
- Coffee cardamom chocolate mousse cake
- Nigella’s dense chocolate cake
- Willie’s cloud forest chocolate cake
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this chocolate mayonnaise cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for using mayonnaise in cakes?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more large cake recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake. PIN IT.
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake: So Easy So Delicious
Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate (I’ve used 72% and 85% variously)
- 125 ml strong black coffee
- 100 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 25 g buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 100 g ground almonds
- 200 g golden caster sugar
- 200 g mayonnaise (210ml) ordinary or vegan mayonnaise both work
Instructions
- Break the chocolate into pieces and place a small pan. Pour the hot coffee over the top and leave the chocolate for a few minutes to melt. If it doesn’t melt completely, place the pan over a gentle heat for a few minutes. Stir and set aside to cool for a few minutes.200 g dark chocolate, 125 ml strong black coffee
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
- Sieve the flours, baking powder and cocoa into a large mixing bowl. Stir or whisk in the almonds and sugar.100 g wholemeal spelt flour, 25 g buckwheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 100 g ground almonds, 200 g golden caster sugar
- Make a well in the centre and spoon in the mayonnaise, followed by the cooled chocolate. Stir everything together until combined, but try not to mix more than you need to.200 g mayonnaise
- Scrape the mixture into a lined 22cm cake tin or lightly oiled silicone mould. Then bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes. The cake is done when it’s risen up and is firm to the touch.
- Leave to settle for ten minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool.
- Dust some cocoa powder or icing sugar over the top once cool, if liked.
Janice, the picture did not do this cake justice – it was one of the best I’ve made. Still feel a bit dubious about the mayonnaise though.
mmm sounds gorgeous, I love a little bitterness in my chocolate. I have heard of using mayonnaise in chocolate cake before, but I’m not sure where from.