I know. As soon as you saw the word “mayonnaise,” you started to have some hesitation. I did too, until I remembered that mayonnaise is essentially just a combination of eggs and oil, two ingredients that regularly appear in any cake recipe. Plus, the rising popularity of Miracle Whip in the 1940s and ’50s introduced mayonnaise into a slew of new recipes. Its presence here makes the cake moister than ever.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon brewed coffee, black
- 2 tablespoons French vanilla coffee creamer
Frosting
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons French vanilla coffee creamer
- 2 cups loosely packed confectioners’ sugar
- Chocolate chips for serving
How to Make It
-
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 × 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, mayonnaise, vanilla, and coffee.
- Slowly add the coffee mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined and pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For the Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar and butter and cook over medium heat until bubbling, about 5 minutes. Be sure to whisk continuously, so it doesn’t burn.
- Take off the heat and stir in the creamer. Then gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Frost the cake, cut into slices, and serve, garnished with chocolate chips.
