Experience the ultimate chocolate indulgence with this ‘all-mayo’ duo. By using mayonnaise in both the cake batter and the chocolate frosting, you achieve a level of moisture and a glossy, professional finish that butter simply cannot provide. This budget-friendly, vintage-inspired recipe is the perfect solution for a rich, dark chocolate cake made entirely from pantry staples.
*This recipe was originally published on 7/11/2018 and was updated with new tips and imagery.
If you’ve been searching for the most tender, “melt-in-your-mouth” chocolate cake, the secret isn’t a fancy gourmet chocolate or a complicated French technique. It’s actually sitting in your refrigerator right now!
This Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake (a vintage favorite often called “Cuckoo Cake”) paired with a matching Chocolate Mayo Frosting is a double-threat of decadence. By using mayonnaise as the primary fat source in both the cake and the frosting, you get a rich, velvety texture that butter-based recipes simply can’t match. In fact, it is my go-to chocolate cake combo that my family loves! I NEVER tell my kids mayo is in the cake or frosting because they’d hate it so that is our little secret–shhh.
Why Use Mayonnaise in Both Cake and Frosting?
It sounds unconventional, but mayonnaise is essentially an emulsion of oil, egg yolks, and a hint of acidity.
- In the Cake: The oil stays liquid at room temperature, ensuring the cake crumb remains incredibly moist for days. The slight acidity in the mayo reacts with the baking soda to create a light, airy lift.
- In the Frosting: Replacing butter or shortening with mayo creates an ultra-glossy, “mirror-like” finish that doesn’t form a dry crust. The egg yolks add a custard-like richness that makes the cocoa powder taste even more intense.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The Super Moist Cake Base
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of our cake.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: A generous amount for a deep chocolate flavor.
- Baking Soda: Our leavening agent that reacts with the mayo for a perfect rise.
- Large Eggs: Provides structure and extra richness.
- Granulated Sugar: To balance the cocoa.
- Vanilla Extract: A baking essential.
- Mayonnaise: The “secret” to the moisture—stick with full-fat brands like Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Water (room temp): Helps create a smooth, pourable batter.
The Glossy Mayo-Butter Frosting
- Vanilla Extract: To round out the flavors.
- Powdered Sugar: Sifted to ensure a lump-free glaze.
- Cocoa Powder: For that classic chocolate finish.
- Mayonnaise: The secret to that professional shine.
- Unsalted Butter: Provides the classic “buttercream” flavor and stability.
- Milk: To reach the perfect spreadable consistency.
How to Make Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake & Frosting
Step 1: Prep and Mix Dry Ingredients
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
Step 2: Cream the Wet Ingredients
In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in the mayonnaise until fully incorporated.
Step 3: Combine and Bake
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the water. Mix until just combined—do not overmix! Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Step 4: Whip the Frosting
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and mayonnaise together. Gradually sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the milk and vanilla, beating until the frosting is thick, shiny, and spreadable.
Expert Tips for Success
- Full Fat is Best: Do not use “Light” or “Fat-Free” mayo. You need the fat content to achieve that legendary moisture.
- Sift, Sift, Sift: Since this frosting doesn’t involve heat, sifting your cocoa and sugar is the only way to prevent lumps.
- Storage: Because this frosting contains eggs (via the mayo), store your finished cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It tastes incredible served chilled!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does the cake taste like mayonnaise?
Not at all. Once baked, the mayo transforms into a neutral, rich fat. The cocoa and sugar completely dominate the flavor profile.
Is this recipe dairy-free?
This recipe contains smaller amounts of butter, and milk so it is not dairy-free.
Can I use this frosting for piping?
This frosting is softer than traditional buttercream. It is perfect for spreading and “swooshing” with a spatula, but it isn’t recommended for intricate piping like flowers.
Troubleshooting: Common Mayo Cake & Frosting Questions
Because mayonnaise behaves differently than butter, you might run into these common situations. Here is how to handle them like a pro:
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
- The Culprit: Usually, this happens if the oven door was opened too early or if the baking soda was expired.
- The Fix: Ensure your baking soda is fresh (it should fizz when a drop of vinegar hits it). Also, resist the urge to peek until the 30-minute mark!
My frosting is too thin to spread. What do I do?
- The Culprit: Mayonnaise brands vary in thickness. If your mayo was closer to room temperature, it might be a bit runny.
- The Fix: Chill the frosting in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to firm up the oils. If it’s still too thin, whisk in an extra ¼ cup of powdered sugar.
The cake is “too” moist and falling apart.
- The Culprit: Mayonnaise provides a lot of moisture! If the cake is still warm, it will be very fragile.
- The Fix: This cake must be completely cool before slicing. In fact, many people find it’s even better the second day after the structure has set in the fridge.
Substitutions & Variations
- The Mocha Twist: Use hot coffee instead of water in the cake batter and add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the frosting. It deepens the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee.
- Salted Chocolate: Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over the top of the frosted cake to cut through the richness.
- Gluten-Free: You can swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour blend. Since mayo provides so much moisture, gluten-free versions of this cake are surprisingly delicious and not gritty.
How to Store Your Chocolate Mayo Cake
Because mayonnaise contains eggs, this isn’t a “countertop” cake.
- In the Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Serving it chilled actually makes the frosting taste like a rich truffle!
- In the Freezer: You can freeze the unfrosted cake layers wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the mayo frosting, as the emulsion can break and become oily when thawed.
What to Serve With This Cake
To balance the intense richness of the chocolate and mayo duo, try serving it with:
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: The cold creaminess pairs perfectly with the velvety cake crumb.
Fresh Berries/Cherry on top: Raspberries or sliced strawberries provide a tart contrast. Fresh cherries make the cake really POP as you can see in my pictures.
Cold Milk: A classic pairing that never fails.
More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love
- Chocolate Peppermint Cake Mix Cookies
- Creamy Dark Chocolate Coconut Truffles
- Dr. Pepper Chocolate Cake
The Secret to Super Moist Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake and Frosting
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- stand mixer
- bundt cake pan
- Measuring Cups & spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 3 large eggs
- 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 ⅓ cups water room temperature
Mayo Frosting
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a Bundt pan generously with nonstick baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda-set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in mayonnaise at lower speed until blended.
- Alternate adding in the water and flour mixture starting with the flour mixture, and ending with the flour mixture. Combine until there are no more flour streaks.
- Pour batter into the Bundt pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once done, allow to cool completely before removing from the cake pan.
Frosting Direction
- In a stand mixer, add all ingredients and whip until well combined and creamy-about 1 minute. Frosting will be thick, creamy and ganache-like.
- Frost cake using a rubber spatula or your favorite frosting tools. Keep this cake refrigerated.
Cake: Mayonnaise can replace the fat (butter/oil) and some eggs in a chocolate cake recipe. It keeps the cake very moist.
My rating is only for the frosting. Wow! I just made this, and it is so delicious! 😋 I did use half special dark and half regular cocoa (gotta use what you got😁). I also make my mayonnaise and culture my own butter. I just want to put that out there in case anyone wonders about any differences. Everything else and all measurements are exact to recipe.
This recipe is incredible. I’ll never buy store frosting again. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Hi, no it is both unsweetened cocoa. Sorry for the confusion! -Amy
Is there a difference between the “unsweetened cocoa powder” listed in the cake recipe and the “cocoa” listed in the frosting recipe?
Hi, I do not recommend that!
Can you use a box cake mix and add mayonnaise? If so how much?
PLEASE DO NOT USE TOO MUCH MAYO IN ANYTHING. THEY NOW PUT A VERY BAD CHEMICAL IN IT AND IT WILL KILL YOU.
EDTA IS NOW USED AS A PRESERVATIVE IN STORE BOUGHT MAYO’S AND IT IS ACTUALLY KILLING AMERICANS EVERY DAY.
I now know this because my aunt made a mayo frosting cake and died shortly after.
This was very alarming to us and search for reasons why she just dropped dead.
This was before covid and the vaccine for it.
Found out about edta and the effects it has on us and it’s completely mind blowing that our government would allow this to be deemed as safe.
Be Careful Folks!
My Aunt use to make this cake and she always made it with mayo and mayo frosting. I haven’t been able to find a really good one since she passed away when I was a teenager and back in the day, they never wrote recipes down. I will be making this today so I will let you know how it turns out. Thank you
Hi, mayo just makes it super rich and moist. This particular recipe still requires the eggs because that is how I developed it and it really does work super well. Let me know if you try it out!
I thought the whole idea was to not use eggs or oil because that is what mayo in made from. I never used eggs and everyone loved it, So if you’re short on eggs do it without. everything else is the same.
Thank you for sharing this with us. We will have to try it!
My mother always made a mayonaize cake only she used Miracle Whip. Her recipe was also called a one hundred dollar cake. Here is the recipe I grew up with. 1 cup Miracle Whip, 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup water, 2 cups flour, 3 Tablespoons cocoa, 3 teaspoons vanilla, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder. a dash of salt. Mix all ingredients together, blend until smooth, pour in 9 by 13 inch cake pan or 2- 8 or 9 inch cake pans and bake at 350 for 30 or 40 minutes. Enjoy
Hello, it cannot be used successfully in this recipe. Thank you, for stopping by!
do you know if miracle whip can be used instead of mayo??
My step mom always made a mayonnaise cake at Christmas time, hers was more a snacking cake, no frosting.but it had chopped dates and walnuts or pecans. It used no eggs or oil. I will be trying this one, not everyone liked the dates or nuts, yes, we have weirdos in our family
Hi Sandie. I read your comment about the chocolate mayonnaise cake and you said you have the original recipe from the jar. Would you please share it with me? That is the one my mother always used and she is no longer here and I can’t find it. I would really appreciate it. I hope this message gets to you.
Thank you so much in advance.
Yvonne
Hi so sorry, it is 2 tablespoons Sandie!
Wasn’t the milk left out of the frosting recipe?
Cake is made. Frosting mixed but not sure about how much milk to add. Maybe start with a couple of tablespoons?
Thanks for your recipe. I have one from the original jar print., but copied yours too.
Hi, thank you so much for letting me know! I need to try that Baconnaise!
Oh my gosh! Both of my comments got posted. I’m sorry, I got mixed up with names. :( I tried to correct it before it posted, but I was obviously unsuccessful.
Thanks, Amy! I actually tried both the cake and the icing with baconnaise. It’s very subtle, but good!
Thanks, Lisa! I actually tried both the cake and the icing with baconnaise. It’s very subtle, but good!
Hi, sorry I updated it!! Thank you
The frosting recipe doesn’t call for mayo… ???
Hi Lisa, so sorry! My plugin deleted it. I have fixed the recipe. Thank you for stopping by!
Where is the recipe for the mayonnaise frosting ?
I haven’t ever had cake frosting made with mayo that I know of. but I have definitely had chocolate cake made with mayo.
This is so very interesting to me. I had no idea that you could make frostings or anything dessert related with mayonnaise.
I love mayonaise. I eat it on tons of food, but I’ve never had it in a cake…or in frosting for that matter. I’d love to try this.
I am not surprised, I have seen mayonnaise being used more and more lately. My husband uses it on the bread when he makes grilled cheese sandwiches.
No way! Mayo in cake? That is awesome and now I need to try this recipe! I can only imagine how moist it is!
Such an interesting twist on the recipe. It looks so delicious. The burger looks great too
Your cake looks amazing! I can’t wait to try your recipe!
My dad’s favorite cake is a mayonnaise cake! He requests it every birthday.
The only chocolate cake my mom would make when we were young was a mayonnaise one. They are so moist. I haven’t tried a mayonnaise frosting before. Something new to try.