Are you ready for a baking secret that will blow your mind and delight your taste buds? Get ready to unlock the incredible potential of Cake Recipes Made With Mayonnaise! Yes, you read that right – mayonnaise! For many beginners, the idea of adding this savory condiment to a sweet cake might seem unusual, even a little bit intimidating. But trust us, it’s a game-changer! Mayonnaise is essentially an emulsion of oil, egg yolks, and vinegar, which means it brings a trifecta of richness, moisture, and binding power to your baked goods. This recipe is one of the most easy baking recipes you’ll ever try, yielding a cake that’s unbelievably moist, tender, and fudgy, with absolutely no eggy or mayo flavor whatsoever. We’ll walk you through every step, providing essential baking tips for beginners to ensure your first (or fiftieth!) mayonnaise cake is a resounding success. Let’s get baking!
Classic Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake: The Recipe
This recipe is designed to be straightforward and forgiving, perfect for anyone just starting their baking journey. We’re making a rich chocolate cake that uses mayonnaise to achieve an unparalleled level of moisture and tenderness.
Ingredients List
Always measure your ingredients accurately! This is one of the most crucial baking tips for beginners.
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| All-Purpose Flour | 2 | cups |
| Granulated Sugar | 2 | cups |
| Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Dutch-processed recommended) | 1 | cup |
| Baking Soda | 2 | teaspoons |
| Salt | 1 | teaspoon |
| Full-Fat Mayonnaise | 1 | cup |
| Water (or strong brewed coffee for richer flavor) | 1 | cup |
| Vanilla Extract | 2 | teaspoons |
For the Simple Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Optional, but highly recommended!)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Unsalted Butter, softened | 1/2 | cup (1 stick) |
| Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar) | 2 | cups |
| Unsweetened Cocoa Powder | 1/2 | cup |
| Milk (any kind) or Cream | 1/4 | cup (or more, as needed) |
| Vanilla Extract | 1 | teaspoon |
| Pinch of Salt | 1/4 | teaspoon |
Step-by-Step Instructions: Your Guide to Baking Success!
Follow these steps carefully, and you’ll have a beautiful, delicious cake in no time. Remember, baking is a science, so precision helps, but don’t be afraid to have fun!
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This allows the oven to reach and maintain the correct temperature, which is crucial for even baking.
- Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan. To do this, rub a thin layer of butter or shortening all over the inside of the pan, making sure to get into the corners. Then, sprinkle a tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour into the pan, tilting and tapping it to coat all the greased surfaces. Dump out any excess flour. This step prevents your cake from sticking, a common beginner mistake! Alternatively, you can line the bottom with parchment paper after greasing for extra insurance.
- Combine Dry Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Beginner Tip: Whisking dry ingredients together ensures they are evenly distributed, especially the leavening agents like baking soda. This prevents pockets of unmixed ingredients and helps the cake rise uniformly. If you have a sieve, you can sift these ingredients together for an even finer mixture, leading to a lighter cake texture.
- Combine Wet Ingredients:
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, water (or coffee), and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
- Beginner Tip: Ensure your mayonnaise is at room temperature if possible. This helps it emulsify better with the other wet ingredients and integrate more smoothly into the batter, preventing a lumpy texture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures:
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Using a spatula or a whisk (or an electric mixer on low speed), mix until just combined.
- Crucial Beginner Tip: Do NOT overmix! Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can lead to a tough, dry, and dense cake. Mix only until there are no visible streaks of dry flour. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and often preferred over an overmixed batter.
- Pour into Pan & Bake:
- Pour the cake batter evenly into your prepared 9×13 inch baking pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Beginner Tip: Resist the urge to open the oven door during the first 20-25 minutes of baking. A sudden drop in temperature can cause the cake to sink in the middle. Use your oven light to check on it.
- Troubleshooting: If your cake isn’t fully cooked after 35 minutes, continue baking in 5-minute increments, checking for doneness each time. If the edges are browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
- Cooling Process:
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the cake to set and firm up before you attempt to remove it.
- After 10-15 minutes, carefully invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely. If you plan to frost the cake in the pan, you can skip inverting it, but ensure it’s completely cool before frosting.
- Beginner Tip: Cooling completely is essential before frosting. If you try to frost a warm cake, the frosting will melt and slide right off, creating a messy situation. Patience is key here!
- Prepare the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (While cake cools):
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy and light, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, alternating with small splashes of milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. If it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
- Beginner Tip: Softened butter is crucial here. It should be pliable but not melted. If your butter is too cold, your frosting will be lumpy. If it’s too warm, it will be greasy and runny.
- Frost and Serve:
- Once the cake is completely cool, spread the chocolate buttercream frosting evenly over the top.
- Slice and enjoy your incredibly moist and delicious chocolate mayonnaise cake!
- Alternative: For a quick and easy option, you can use a store-bought chocolate frosting. Simply open the can and spread!
Essential Baking Tips & Tricks for Beginners
Baking can seem daunting, but with a few simple tricks, you’ll be baking like a pro in no time!
- Read the Recipe First: Always read the entire recipe from start to finish before you begin. This helps you understand the process and ensures you have all ingredients and tools ready.
- Accuracy is Key: Baking is more precise than cooking. Use proper measuring cups and spoons, and level off dry ingredients like flour and sugar with a straight edge (like the back of a knife). For flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and then level it – don’t scoop directly from the bag as this can compact the flour, leading to too much being used.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For cakes, eggs, butter, and in this case, mayonnaise, should often be at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify and combine more easily, creating a smoother, more uniform batter and a better texture in the final cake.
- Don’t Overmix: As mentioned in the steps, overmixing develops gluten, which can make your cake tough. Mix until just combined.
- Preheat Your Oven: Give your oven plenty of time to preheat to the specified temperature. An oven thermometer is a great, inexpensive tool to ensure your oven’s temperature is accurate.
- Test for Doneness: The toothpick test is reliable. If it comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter), your cake is likely done.
- Cool Completely: Patience is a virtue in baking. Always let cakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting or slicing. This prevents crumbling and melting frosting.
- Quality Ingredients: While you don’t need the most expensive brands, using good quality ingredients (especially for something like mayonnaise, which is the star here!) can make a difference in flavor.
Essential Baking Tools
Having the right tools makes baking much easier and more enjoyable. Here are some basics you’ll want:
- Mixing Bowl – Essential for combining ingredients.
- Whisk – Perfect for blending dry ingredients and light wet mixtures.
- Baking Pan – A good quality 9×13 inch pan is versatile for many recipes.
- Measuring Cups & Measuring Spoons – For accurate ingredient measurement.
- Spatula – Great for scraping bowls clean and folding ingredients.
- Wire Rack – For cooling your cake evenly.
- Oven Thermometer – To ensure your oven’s temperature is accurate.
Nutrition Information (Estimated per 1/12th serving with frosting)
Please note that these are approximate values and can vary based on specific ingredient brands and exact measurements.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~480 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | ~68 g |
| Protein | ~5 g |
| Fat | ~25 g |
| Fiber | ~3 g |
| Sugar | ~45 g |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Beginner Bakers
Here are some common questions you might have about baking this unique cake recipe:
- Why use mayonnaise in a cake recipe? Does it taste like mayo?Mayonnaise acts as a brilliant fat, egg, and moisture source all in one! It’s made from oil, egg yolks, and vinegar, which are all common cake ingredients. It replaces the need for butter or oil and eggs, contributing incredible moisture and tenderness to the cake. No, your cake will absolutely NOT taste like mayonnaise! The flavor of mayonnaise disappears completely during baking, leaving behind only a rich, moist, and delicious cake.
- Can I use light or low-fat mayonnaise?For the best results, especially when starting out, we highly recommend using full-fat mayonnaise. The fat content is crucial for the cake’s texture and moisture. Light or low-fat versions may contain more water or different thickeners that can alter the final outcome of the cake, potentially making it less rich or slightly drier.
- My cake sank in the middle! What went wrong?This is a common issue for beginners! Several factors can cause a cake to sink:
- Opening the oven door too early: A sudden drop in temperature can cause the cake structure to collapse before it’s set.
- Underbaking: If the cake isn’t fully cooked, its structure isn’t strong enough to hold up once removed from the oven.
- Too much leavening (baking soda): An excess can cause the cake to rise too quickly and then collapse. Ensure accurate measurements!
- Oven temperature too low: An inaccurate oven temperature (even if preheated to the correct setting) can lead to underbaked centers. Use an oven thermometer!
- How should I store this chocolate mayonnaise cake?Store your frosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If your kitchen is very warm, or if you prefer a firmer frosting, you can refrigerate it. Just be sure to bring it back to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Can I make cupcakes instead of a sheet cake with this recipe?Absolutely! This recipe works wonderfully for cupcakes. Simply line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Fill each liner about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for approximately 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. This recipe should yield about 24-30 cupcakes.
Conclusion: Your New Favorite Easy Cake!
Who knew a simple jar of mayonnaise could be the secret to such a wonderfully moist and tender cake? This Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake is a fantastic entry point into the world of baking, offering incredible results with minimal fuss. It’s perfect for potlucks, birthdays, or just a sweet treat for yourself.
Don’t let the unconventional ingredient deter you – embrace the surprise and prepare to impress everyone with your newfound baking prowess! We hope these detailed instructions and beginner tips empower you to confidently bake this delightful cake. Happy baking, and don’t forget to share your creations with us!