Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Frosting

Mayonnaise in cake batter sounds wild, but it’s an old Depression-era trick that flat-out works. The mayo replaces both eggs and oil, producing a chocolate cake so tender and moist you’d never guess the secret ingredient.

The batter comes together fast: dry ingredients, mayo, water, vanilla, and a quick mix. No creaming butter, no separating eggs. Pour it into the pan and let the oven do its thing.

The real star here is the brown sugar frosting. You cook butter and brown sugar together until bubbly, stir in milk, then beat in powdered sugar by hand. It sets up quickly with a caramel-like chew, so have your cake cooled and ready before you start the frosting.

Kitchen Tips

• The frosting thickens fast once you pull it off the heat. Spread it on the cake immediately or it becomes unworkable.
• Don’t overbeat the cake batter. Mix just until combined for a tender crumb.
• Use full-fat mayo, not light or Miracle Whip. The fat content is what keeps the cake moist.
• Let the cake cool completely before frosting or the heat will melt the frosting right off.

Variations

• Add a shot of brewed coffee in place of some of the water to deepen the chocolate flavor.
• Swap the brown sugar frosting for a classic chocolate ganache for a double-chocolate hit.
• Toss in a handful of mini chocolate chips to the batter for extra pockets of chocolate.