Vintage Mayonnaise Cake
Rich, moist, and loaded with chocolate flavor, this vintage Mayonnaise Cake recipe from the 1950s is easy and delicious!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 ⅓ cups water
For the Chocolate Frosting with coffee:
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 ½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of cold coffee
- 2-3 tablespoons milk, cream, or half-and-half -- to make a spreadable frosting
Instructions
Making the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (stand mixer or a bowl using electric beaters), beat the egg and sugar for 2 minutes. Add in mayonnaise, vanilla and water and continue to beat.
- Next, slowly add the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) a little at a time, mixing as you go. Scrape down the sides as you mix the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Check with a toothpick, in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean (then the cake is done). Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting, otherwise the frosting will stick to the cake while spreading.
Making the Chocolate (coffee) Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar at low to high speed until light and fluffy, for 2-3 minutes. Next, add in the cocoa, cold coffee, and vanilla. As it thickens up, slowly add in the milk one tablespoon at a time until desired thickness for spreading on the cake. The amount of milk depends on how thick or creamy you like your frosting.
- Spread the frosting on top of the cake.
Notes
Sandy's Tips
- You can use any kind of full-fat, unflavored mayonnaise in this recipe. Do not use Miracle Whip; it will not have the same flavor.
- Don’t overmix the cake batter - only mix it as needed to blend in all the ingredients.
- You can use cream or half-and-half cream in the icing instead of milk.
- You can make the icing while the cake cools. Just leave it on the counter so it stays soft enough for spreading.
- Every oven is different: Check for doneness before removing from the oven.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 482kcal, Carbohydrates: 95g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 316mg, Potassium: 162mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 548IU, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 2mg