Recipe
1930s Mayonnaise Cake
A surprisingly tender chocolate cake that uses mayonnaise for fat and eggs: a Depression pantry trick that still works.
Context
Mayonnaise is oil and egg already blended, so it stands in for both in the batter.
Home bakers shared mayonnaise cake recipes when butter was precious. The crumb is moist and fine. Use a plain full-fat mayonnaise, not a sweet sandwich spread, and frost as you like or dust with sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup water or cold coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch pans or one 9x13 pan.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in mayonnaise, water or coffee, and vanilla until smooth.
- Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before frosting.