Rocky Road Cake

The mayo move. Devil’s food cake mix gets a serious boost with a full cup of mayonnaise whipped into the batter in place of the usual oil. Before you wrinkle your nose, remember: mayo is just eggs and oil emulsified, which is exactly what gives this cake its ridiculously moist, tender crumb.

What makes it rocky road is everything folded in at the end. Chopped nuts for crunch, raisins for chewy sweetness, mini marshmallows that partially melt into pockets of gooey goodness, and chunks of real chocolate that soften into melty bites throughout.

A tube pan is the right choice here. The central hole helps the thick, loaded batter bake evenly all the way through, which a standard loaf or round pan struggles to do with this much add-in weight.

The 50-minute bake leaves the outside firm while the interior stays almost fudge-dense thanks to that mayonnaise. Don’t skip the tester check; the marshmallows can make the middle seem underbaked when it’s actually done.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with chocolate ganache for extra indulgence.

Pro Tips

• Beat at low speed first to blend, then increase to medium for exactly 2 minutes; overbeating adds tough air bubbles
• Toss nuts, raisins, and chocolate with a tablespoon of flour before folding in; this keeps them from sinking to the bottom
• Grease AND flour the tube pan thoroughly, especially the central tube; intricate pans stick more
• Cool in pan exactly 15 minutes; longer and the cake sticks, shorter and it breaks on release
• Use real chocolate chunks or chopped bars over chips; chips are formulated to hold shape and don’t melt as well

Variations

• Swap walnuts for pecans or almonds
• Use dried cranberries or dried cherries in place of raisins
• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to deepen the chocolate flavor