Description

This easy homemade chocolate mayonnaise cake is incredibly moist and tender thanks to mayonnaise, making it a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing dessert perfect for family gatherings, birthdays, or potlucks. With simple pantry ingredients and no complicated prep, it’s a reliable chocolate cake recipe you’ll make again and again.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup mayonnaise (full-fat recommended)
1 cup whole milk (or almond/oat milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional: 1/2 cup hot coffee (or water)
Topping suggestions: chocolate frosting, powdered sugar, fresh berries, whipped cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch cake pan with butter or nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper for easy removal, or just grease well.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. If not sifting, whisk until lump-free.
In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. If using coffee, add it now.
Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined; do not overmix.
Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap pan lightly to release air bubbles.
Bake in center of oven for 30-35 minutes. Check at 28 minutes; a toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around edges and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Alternatively, leave in pan to cool.
Once cooled, frost with chocolate icing, dust with powdered sugar, or top with berries and whipped cream. Slice and serve.

Notes

For extra moistness, use full-fat mayonnaise. Sifting dry ingredients helps avoid lumps. Add hot coffee or espresso powder for deeper chocolate flavor. Cake can be made gluten-free with a 1:1 flour blend. For cupcakes, bake 18-22 minutes. Store at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week. Freezes well for up to 2 months.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/12th of cake
Calories: 310
Sugar: 25
Sodium: 330
Fat: 14
Saturated Fat: 2.5
Carbohydrates: 44
Fiber: 2
Protein: 4

Keywords: chocolate mayonnaise cake, easy chocolate cake, homemade dessert, moist cake, family dessert, pantry cake, eggless cake, old-fashioned cake, birthday cake, potluck dessert