Sweet Surprise Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, January 21st 2018 edition. By: Blaise Doubman 

Mayonnaise is sweet secret ingredient…
Blaise Doubman

My very first post on my blog was a recipe for chocolate mayonnaise cake. It started with a cake mix and detailed instructions on what to do and how to achieve the perfect cake. That post was nearly four years ago now, believe it or not, and I still refer to it for inspiration. Over the course of four years, since posting that original piece, I have come to find that the best mayonnaise cakes always start with a cake mix! I know, I am not the biggest fan of premade boxed mixes myself and I hardly ever use them, but you must understand that in the world of mayonnaise cakes, you simply must start with one. I have tried mayonnaise cakes from scratch, for instance I am sharing a “from scratch” version in the comments to this column, and they are delicious do not get me wrong, but there is something in the boxed mix you can not find or duplicate anywhere else. Believe me, I have tried and tasted my fair share of mayonnaise cakes. Ha!

In developing this recipe, I wanted to take the flavor to another level, so I added freshly brewed coffee to the cake instead of water and decided to bake the cakes a little less than I had previously. The result was a fabulously moist cake with deep chocolate flavor! If you are not a fan of coffee, do not despair, you can honestly hardly taste it! Coffee, when added to chocolate, does not overpower, but instead adds to the overall flavor. My Grandma Deloris is a huge fan of this cake and whenever we have something to celebrate together, I bring this cake along with me. The frosting is simple too! Simply sift together 3 ½ cups powdered sugar with ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. In another bowl combine a stick of melted butter with 4 tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons light corn syrup. Gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa mixture to the melted butter mixture and stir until everything is smooth and combined. Add a splash or two of milk if the frosting needs to be more spreadable. For special occasions I will make a separate vanilla buttercream frosting that goes in the middle of the layers, and in a circle on top of the cake. Then I sprinkle the top with chocolate sprinkles. It is fun, festive and delicious!

Sweet Surprise Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

If you prefer to make the recipe from scratch, stir together 3 cups white all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar, 6 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 teaspoons baking soda. In a separate bowl combine 1 ½ cups mayonnaise with 1 ½ cups warm water and 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend together until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured 13×9-inch cake pan. Bake in preheated 350-degree F oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before frosting. You can also make this cake using 2 9-inch round cake pans if you desire or about 18 medium sized cupcakes.

1 Duncan Hines “Devil’s Food” cake mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup brewed coffee
3 large eggs

Start by spraying 2 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray containing flour and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line each cake pan with parchment paper and spray again if you want to take extra precautions, which is never a bad idea.

In a large bowl beat together the cake mix, mayonnaise, brewed coffee and large eggs until the mixture is combined, smooth and glossy with a few air bubbles.

Pour this mixture evenly between the 2 cake pans. Take each pan and wrap steadily on your counter top to release the air bubbles and to ensure even baking.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes exactly.

Remove and allow to cool before frosting.

When ready to assemble, gently remove one of the cakes from their pans and place onto a plate. Place some frosting on the top and smooth evenly. Remove the other cake from its pan and place on top. Place frosting on top of cake, smooth and gently bring down the sides of the cake to ensure an even coating around the perimeter of the cake.

Ask and Answer: I received a few emails about my column prior to this one for “Baked Spaghetti” and thought I would answer your questions here. The dish can be made ahead, wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerated until ready to bake. You can also substitute diverse types of pasta, such as whole grain, etc. Also, there was a reader that said she had made my baked spaghetti for her husband and added a pinch of red pepper flake and sea salt to the top of the baked dish and it was a huge success! Sounds good to me!