• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • X
 Trending:  Easy Recipes
Erren's Kitchen
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Finder
    • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizer
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Side
      • Dessert
      • Drinks
    • Type
      • Quick and Easy
      • Vegetarian
      • Pasta
      • Soups
      • Salads & Dressings
      • Rice Dishes
      • Comfort Food
      • Slow Cooker
    • Protein
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Seafood
      • Beef, Pork, & Lamb
    • Cuisine
      • Italian Food
      • Asian Food
      • American
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican Food
      • Southern
    • Method
      • Slow Cooker
      • One Pot/One Pan
      • Oven-Baked and Roasted Recipes
      • Stovetop
    • Desserts
      • Brownies & Bars
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Cookies
      • Pies & Tarts
      • Muffins, Breads & Donuts
      • Ice Cream Recipes
  • Videos
  • Conversions
    • US Sticks of Butter Conversion Charts
    • Basic ounces to grams weight conversions
    • Oven Temperature Conversions
    • Butter in the US and the Rest of the World
    • British Dessert Spoon Conversions
    • US Cups to ounces & grams for common ingredients
    • Basic Volume Conversions
  • About
    • Erren’s Kitchen
    • Meet the Team
    • Meet Erren
    • Collaborate
    • Life Stories
    • Contact
    • Our Philosophy

Specialties:

Quick & Easy
Italian
Poultry
Better Than Takeout!
Desserts
Meat
Pasta
Home / Cakes & Cupcakes

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

This moist indulgent chocolate cake is something to behold. Easy to make, even easier to eat!

Erren Hart

|

last Updated:

03/25/2025
5 from 110 votes
Jump to Recipe
Serves: 12
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 30 minutes mins
chocolate mayonnaise cake glazed
two pictures of a whole chocolate mayonnaise cake and a slice of cake
A chocolate bundt shape cake topped with chocolate glaze.
A chocolate bundt shaped cake with chocolate glaze being poured on top and slice of the completed cake.
A promotional image showing a chocolate bundt shaped mayonnaise cake with chocolate glaze, chocolate glaze being poured onto the cake, and a slice of the completed chocolate cake.
a fully glazed chocolate mayonnaise cake
A rich, moist slice of chocolate mayonnaise cake topped with glossy chocolate ganache is placed on a white plate. A small fork rests beside the slice, holding a delectable bite of cake.

This site runs ads and generates income from affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

This recipe for Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake makes a beautiful, tender, light-textured cake that’s incredibly moist and indulgent.

Being a food blogger, I often have friends that like to surprise me with their bakes. One of my friends made a delicious chocolate cake and proudly asked me to guess the secret ingredient. When she announced, mayonnaise, I must admit I was pretty amazed. I quickly got to work on creating my own version of her delicious cake.

a fully glazed chocolate mayonnaise cake
Pin This Recipe For Later!

Why This Recipe Works

  • Mayonnaise adds richness and moisture to this incredible cake.
  • Using coffee compliments the chocolate and gives an extra depth of flavor.
  • Buttermilk helps give the cake extra moisture and sublte tangy taste.

Using Mayonnaise In Cake

Being made mainly made of eggs, vinegar, and oil, mayonnaise adds extra moisture, and rich flavor to cakes and produces a light tender crumb.

This cake has a deep chocolatey flavor that pairs perfectly with my Chocolate Glaze that’s smooth and creamy without being too sweet.

Ingredients Notes

a collage of ingredeints for chocolate mayonnaise cake
  • Flour– Use all-purpose (plain) flour. I recommend a good quality unbleached all-purpose flour with 4-5g of protein).
  • Baking Powder & Baking Soda be sure to check the date on your package as out-of-date products may not add the lift you need.
  • Cocoa Powder– I use unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but any unsweetened variety will do.
  • Sugar– this recipe calls for granulated sugar to keep things simple, but I use superfine sugar (aka caster sugar) because I like the way it easily mixes into the batter.
  • Mayonnaise – Full-fat mayonnaise is essential for moisture in this recipe as it’s replacing any other fats in the cake such as butter or oil.
  • Eggs – Use large eggs.
  • Buttermilk– I’ve full or reduced-fat buttermilk in this recipe with the same result.
  • Coffee – I used strong, brewed coffee, but you can instant coffee or espresso powder to make yours. The stronger the coffee, the more it enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
  • Vanilla Extract: You can use anything from imitation vanilla flavor to pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
  • Salt: Regular table salt is fine to add seasoning and enhance the flavors.

How To Make Your Own Buttermilk

To make your own buttermilk at home, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Full-fat milk is best, low-fat or skimmed milk will still work. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes. The mixture may look a little curdled, but that’s fine.

For this recipe: 1 cup of butter milk = 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.

How to Make Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

  1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Combine wet ingredients and mix well.
  3. Stir the wet mixture and dry mixture together along with coffee.
  4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
  5. Make the ganache.
  6. Cover the cake with ganache frosting.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

Step by Step Instructions

In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt.

flour and cocoa powder in a bowl ready to combine

In a separate bowl add mayonnaise, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Then add the cup of coffee.

eggs added to dry mix in a jug

Add the wet ingredients into the dry.

wet and dry mixtures being combined

Mix until combined.

chocolate cake mixture after combining

Add to the greased pan.

For this cake, I used the Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt Pan which you can get at Amazon.  (#paidlink).

chocolate cake batter in a pan ready to go in the oven

Bake and allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.

overhead shot of baked mayonnaise cake on a wire rack

Glaze before serving if desired (I used my chocolate glaze recipe).

a slice of Chocolate Cake with ganache icing.

Serve and enjoy!

Erren’s Top Tips

  • To avoid the cake sticking to the pan, use a good quality, non-stick pan that’s greased well with baking spray or shortening (butter can cause sticking).
  • Always use full-fat mayonnaise, low fat and light mayonnaise will not provide the moisture you need.
  • Be sure to follow the steps of the recipe. Mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately before combining them helps to avoid overmixing.
  • Try to use the best quality cocoa powder you can find. It really makes a huge difference to the flavor of your cake.

Storing & Freezing Instructions

Storage – Store covered at room temperature for up to three days.

Freezing Instructions: Freeze the cooled, unfrosted cake wrapped well for up to 3 months.

FAQs

Why do you put mayonnaise in chocolate cake?

Mayonnaise is used in a chocolate cake as a replacement for eggs. You cannot taste the mayonnaise but it adds an extra velvety texture to a traditional chocolate cake.

How do you store chocolate mayonnaise cake?

You can store this cake just as you would with any other cake, in an airtight container. It will last for up to three days at room temperature. To freeze, use a freezer-safe container and freeze (unfrosted) for up to three months.

Other Great Chocolate Recipes

  • Easy Chocolate Dessert
  • Easy Chocolate Brownies
  • Easy Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
  • Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rate This Recipe

Click here to leave a star rating!

A rich, moist slice of chocolate mayonnaise cake topped with glossy chocolate ganache is placed on a white plate. A small fork rests beside the slice, holding a delectable bite of cake.

Recipe

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

This moist indulgent chocolate cake is something to behold. Easy to make, even easier to eat!
5 from 110 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Total Time: 40 minutes mins
Serves 12

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup brewed coffee (cooled)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C
  • Grease and lightly flour a 12 cup bundt cake pan.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, mayonnaise, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
  • Stir the mayonnaise mixture and the coffee into the flour mixture until combined. The batter will be thin. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes before turning it out. Remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely.

Tips

  • It’s very important to allow your cake to cool. If you move it while it’s still warm it is likely to fall apart.
  • Always use full-fat mayonnaise, any other mayonnaise will not give you the desired results.
  • Try to use the best quality cocoa powder you can find. It really makes a huge difference to the flavor of your cake.
  • It’s very important to allow your cake to cool. If you move it while it’s still warm it is likely to fall apart.
  • Always use full-fat mayonnaise, any other mayonnaise will not give you the desired results.
  • Try to use the best quality cocoa powder you can find. It really makes a huge difference to the flavor of your cake.
Show Nutrition Hide Nutrition

Nutrition

Calories: 327 | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
Created by Erren Hart
Save to favoritesYour saved recipes will be right here waiting for you every time you visit, so you can easily find and make the meals you love.
5 from 110 votes (64 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe:




168 responses

  1. Jan Flickinger Avatar
    Jan Flickinger
    04/27/2025

    looks great! want to make it for family reunion!

    Reply
    1. Erren's Kitchen Avatar
      Erren’s Kitchen
      04/28/2025

      Thank you!! Please let me know if you do and how it turns out for you! 😊

      Reply
  2. Thai Avatar
    Thai
    04/22/2025

    Can you make the cake with homemade mayonnaise?
    Thank you

    Reply
    1. Erren's Kitchen Avatar
      Erren’s Kitchen
      04/22/2025

      Great question! Yes, you can absolutely use homemade mayonnaise in this recipe — just be sure it includes both egg and oil, as those are the key ingredients that give the cake its moisture and richness. As long as your homemade mayo has a similar texture and consistency to store-bought, it should work beautifully. Hope you enjoy the cake! Please let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  3. Nancy Belz Avatar
    Nancy Belz
    03/08/2025

    Greetings from Sydney Australia, I would love to make your beautiful recipe and was wondering how low could I go with the sugar as I do not have a sweet tooth without compromising taste or texture. Thank you so much. I look forward to hearing back from you.

    Reply
    1. Erren's Kitchen Avatar
      Erren’s Kitchen
      03/13/2025

      Greetings from afar! 😊 You can definitely reduce the sugar in this recipe without compromising too much on taste or texture. I’d recommend cutting it down to 1½ cups to start, which will still give a balanced sweetness. If you prefer an even less sweet cake, you could try 1¼ cups, but keep in mind that sugar contributes to moisture and tenderness, so going too low might affect the texture. Let me know how it turns out—I’d love to hear your results!

      Reply
  4. Dawn Avatar
    Dawn
    01/18/2025

    Dawn Dreiling

    Reply
  5. Michela Avatar
    Michela
    01/15/2025

    This looks amazing! Can I make this into an 8 inch round cake pan? Would I need to double the recipe? Still a newbie with cakes!

    Reply
    1. Erren Hart Avatar
      Erren Hart
      01/15/2025

      Yes, you can absolutely make this recipe into two 8-inch layers! Just be sure to divide the batter evenly between the pans. Since 8-inch layers are smaller and will bake faster than a Bundt pan, I recommend checking for doneness at around 25-30 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the center — it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Hope this helps, and happy baking!

      Reply
      1. Michela Avatar
        Michela
        01/15/2025

        Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try!

      2. Erren's Kitchen Avatar
        Erren’s Kitchen
        01/15/2025

        You’re so welcome! Please let us know how it turns out for you!

      3. Michela Avatar
        Michela
        02/10/2025

        I forgot to comment on this and thank you! This was actually the first cake I EVER made and everyone loved it!! I paired it with a chocolate whipped mascarpone cream filling and it was truly heavenly! Everyone was surprised it was my first cake that’s how good it was! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!

      4. Erren's Kitchen Avatar
        Erren’s Kitchen
        02/11/2025

        Michela, that is the best news! I am so happy that it turned out well… the filling sounds delicious!!

    2. Margie Avatar
      Margie
      04/22/2025

      How do you make a chocolate mascarpone filling? Thanks.

      Reply
←Older Comments
1 … 6 7 8
A woman with long dark hair and a dark blue shirt is smiling while leaning on a kitchen counter. In front of her are a plate of pasta and a cutting board with chopped herbs. A potted plant, a cooking pot, and a marble backsplash are in the background.

Welcome

Thank you for visiting Erren’s Kitchen! Here you will find a collection of easy & delicious recipes made with fresh, simple ingredients.

MORE ABOUT ERREN

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL!

Don’t forget to tag me on social @ErrensKitchen to be featured!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • X

Trending


  • Best EVER Potato Wedges

    Best EVER Potato Wedges

  • Seriously, The Best Broccoli of Your Life

    Seriously, The Best Broccoli of Your Life

  • The Best Fettuccine Alfredo of Your Life

    The Best Fettuccine Alfredo of Your Life

  • Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce

    Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce

  • Award Winning Banana Bread

    Award Winning Banana Bread

  • Crispy Roasted Potatoes

    Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Reader Favorites


  • Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • The Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Life

    The Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Life

  • Ultimate Orange Cake

    Ultimate Orange Cake

  • Fudgy Chocolate Chip Brownies

    Fudgy Chocolate Chip Brownies

Quick
Desserts
Dinner
Comforts
Poultry
Pasta
Meat
Seafood
Sides

Favorite Recipes from 2024

These posts were seen over 4.5 million times!

  • The Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Life

    The Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Life

  • Seriously, The Best Broccoli of Your Life

    Seriously, The Best Broccoli of Your Life

  • Quick & Easy Chinese Noodle Soup

    Quick & Easy Chinese Noodle Soup

  • Quick & Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

    Quick & Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

  • Donut Glaze Recipe

    Donut Glaze Recipe

  • Crispy Roasted Potatoes

    Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Still hungry?

Subscribe to my Newsletter for all my latest recipes!

All Recipes
Dinner Ideas
Conversion Guide
Quick & Easy
Erren hart of Erren's Kitchen leaning on a kitchen island.

About your Chef

I’m Erren, I have a passion for cooking and baking from scratch to create simple, nourishing, delicious recipes made with fresh ingredients, free from artificial additives and preservatives you find in prepackaged foods.

Meet Erren
Life Updates
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • X
Contact
Work with Me
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer

© All Rights Reserved. Brand by MRD. Site by OC.

8.2K shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.