Old Fashioned Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe
In my home, we don’t need a special occasion to fuel my desire to make a homemade chocolate cake. Oh, no, no, no. Perhaps you’ve already noticed my chocolate addiction, and if you’re ready to go along for the ride, this old fashioned mayonnaise cake recipe is going to give you the most decadent cake you’ve ever had.
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
Forget cake mixes; this easy recipe is the key to a moist cake loaded with rich chocolate flavor. And let me tell you–it is the best.
And while the secret ingredient may not surprise you (it’s in the title of the recipe), the one ingredient you usually use to make rich chocolate cake isn’t here. Guess which one it is!
An Easy Cake That Has Stood the Test of Time
The cake is straight from the Great Depression. Looking back, I wish I could ask more questions from those that lived during that era, including my grandmother.
But the thing that got my attention was when she baked a cake that she called “crazy cake.” That sounds a lot more fun than chocolate mayo cake, and being a kid, I thought the name was hilarious.
I soon stopped giggling about the name when I got a taste of this dense cake. The moist texture of this rich chocolate cake was something I never forgot.
It was the taste of home for me. And, of course, it’s a delicious chocolate cake I love so dearly.
These days, I love making the old fashioned homemade cake recipe. My husband always says it’s a miracle any of it is left for him and the kids because it’s so good I could easily eat the entire cake.
An Eggless Cake
Mayonnaise cake is made without eggs. In the days of the Great Depression, money and supplies could be sparse, and families had to stretch their budgets. Today with the price of eggs soaring, it may be handy to have a recipe you can use for birthday cakes that don’t require eggs.
If you recall my chocolate pound cake in a Bundt pan, I also top this old fashioned chocolate mayonnaise cake with my same homemade chocolate frosting with only four easy ingredients.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Start by adding the mayonnaise to a large bowl.
Next, add the water to the bowl.
Pour the vanilla extract into the bowl and mix the three ingredients.
Add the flour, baking soda, and sugar to the bowl.
Next, add the unsweetened cocoa powder to the bowl and mix the wet and dry ingredients together well.
You can use a whisk or an electric mixer.
Pour the cake batter into a square 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean, at 350 degrees.
Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before adding any frosting.
Does The Cake Need To Be Refrigerated?
You do not need to refrigerate the cake. But it will last a few days longer in the refrigerator.
How To Store The Mayonnaise Cake
Store the cake in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap.
More Moist and Decadent Cakes
- With its moist crumb and rich cocoa flavor, the simple chocolate cake recipe is a go-to dessert for any occasion.
- Thick, creamy, and full of chocolate flavor, this homemade chocolate cake with buttercream frosting takes any cake to the next level.
- Rich and dense with just the right amount of tang, the old-fashioned cream cheese pound cake recipe is a classic that never goes out of style.
- Quick to mix and always delicious, One Bowl Chocolate Cake, from All Recipes, is the kind of recipe you’ll turn to when you need a foolproof chocolate cake.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a nonstick 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
- Add the mayonnaise, water, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and mix well.
- Next, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking soda and mix well.
- Pour the cake into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before frosting.
My mother made the mayo cake in the 1950’s. She always frosted it with a peanut butter icing. So good!
Oooohhh…peanut butter frosting. Yum!
@Susan, how did your mother make the peanut butter icing?
how did your mother make the peanut butter icing?
Looks delicious! Can you give a recipe for the frosting you used on this cake? Thank you!
Thank you and sure! Here is the recipe and hope you love it! https://www.backtomysouthernroots.com/how-to-make-chocolate-frosting-from-cocoa-powder/
My husband had never had chocolate mayonnaise cake. We each had a piece and then split another! Very moist and chocolately. My new go to recipe!
Thanks for posting!
Great to hear! So glad you both love it!
This cake stays moist far longer than other cakes. Great for folks who pack lunches as you can make it Sunday night and pack it in lunches the entire week!
That’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing!
would this work for 6″ pans? 2 or 3?
Hi Lynette, I think it would work for two 6″ pans. It might not be as full, though since it already calls for a 9×9″ pan.
The Wacky cake recipe I remember, and still have, calls for mixing flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a 8×8 pan. Then creating 3 wells. Into one well you put oil. Second well gets vanilla. Third one gets vinegar. Then pour water over all and quickly mix up with a fork. Quirky but not a mayo cake. I have a different recipe for a mayo cake.
What a fun cake! I will have to check it out. Love the name for it!
I’ve always wanted to try this cake so I used your recipe yesterday and it was delicious. I had exactly 3 tbsps of cocoa left and used regular mayonnaise,it was so chocolaty and moist. Followed recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing!
That’s awesome to hear!
Mom’s peanut butter frosting for the mayonnaise cake
1/2 cup butter room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups confections sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 tablespoons heavy cream
Cream butter and peanut butter together. Mix in sugar and vanilla. Mix in heavy cream one tablespoon at a time, to desired consistency. Beat till light and fluffy, then frost.
Thank you so much for this Susan! It sounds so decadent. Definitely making this!
Always my favorite cake. Most of the time when our birthday was coming up, we would ask mom for the Mayo cake. Don’t need a frosting or such, it is just as good without one. So moist. Still today my brothers favorite cake.
What a fun memory!
This recipe is amazing and looks yummy!
Thank you so much! It’s really moist.
this is the best cake in the world. moist and yummy. been making this cake for 50 years.
Great to hear! It’s definitely a good one.
If I make this recipe again I’d use an 8” x 8” pan. I like a thicker cake.
Thicker cakes are always a good thing – and fudge!
How do you make the icing?
Hi Sherrie, here’s the link to the frosting. https://www.backtomysouthernroots.com/how-to-make-chocolate-frosting-from-cocoa-powder/
Let me know how you like it!
my great grandmother taught my the mayo cake, it’s moist and great when we didn’t have much back then to cook with, however she always said to ad a pinch of salt.
c
I love this! I bet the pinch of salt brings out the flavors! Grandmas knew the best tricks!
I just tried a mayo cake recently that was very similar to this one. I followed recipe exactly but the cake didn’t come out well. It didn’t have a firm crumb and couldn’t hold it’s structure. It crumbled even when I was trying to frost it. Taste was good and it was moist, but it was really fragile.
I used Kraft regular mayo (not light). Internet said it has higher water content than Hellman’s. Could that have been the issue? If I try this recipe, is there particular mayo I should use?
Don’t want to overthink it but am hesitant given the other recipe was almost the same as this one. It just had a little more cocoa. I threw out the cake.
First off, I don’t blame you one bit for tossing that cake – if it falls apart when you try to frost it, it’s just plain frustrating.
To your question: yes, the mayo brand and water content can make a difference in how sturdy the cake is, but it usually isn’t the only culprit.
A few thoughts that might help:
Use a full-fat, classic mayo – something like Hellmann’s/Best Foods, or a regular store brand.
I don’t recommend light, olive oil, or “whipped” mayo, and definitely not Miracle Whip.
This style of mayo cake is meant to be very tender, so it will be softer than a box mix:
Make sure it bakes long enough that a tester comes out clean and the center doesn’t jiggle. If it’s underbaked even a little, it can feel fragile.
Let it cool completely in the pan before you try to frost or lift it. You can even chill it for a bit so it firms up before frosting.
If you want it a touch sturdier, you can:
Reduce the water by 2–3 tablespoons, or
Bake it just a couple of minutes longer, watching closely.
For this particular recipe, I’ve had good results with regular, full-fat mayo (not light) and a 9×9 pan, letting it cool completely before frosting. It should still be moist and soft, but it shouldn’t crumble to bits.
If you try it again with a different mayo and a little less water, please let me know how it turns out – I’d love to hear. 💛
I forgot to say I saw that you used Duke’s mayo, but we don’t have that brand where I live. Also should the water be cool or hot? The Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe I make a lot is really good and calls for boiling water.
Hi Eileen,
You can use any mayo as long as it’s not non-fat or low-fat. The water can be room temp. Hope you love it!