Inspiced — Recipe Manager
One-Bowl Chocolate-Mayonnaise Cake

One-Bowl Chocolate-Mayonnaise Cake

cooking.nytimes.com
Born out of a scarcity of fresh eggs, chocolate-mayonnaise cake is one of those Depression-era recipes that sounds a lot stranger than it tastes. After all, cakes rely on eggs and fat for tenderness and richness, and mayo is made of exactly those things, plus some salt and vinegar to give it tang. But you don’t taste the tanginess of the mayo, and if you didn’t tell anyone it was there, they would never know. Which is to say, don’t let a lack of eggs or butter stop you from making cake. This cake is ridiculously good for the small amount of effort you put into it.
  • Total:
  • Serves: 1 person

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Step 1

    To a large mixing bowl, add cocoa powder and chopped bittersweet chocolate (if using). Pour in boiling liquid, and let it sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. The chocolate will have melted, if you used it, and the cocoa dissolved.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk in mayonnaise, salt, baking soda, 3/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth. Then whisk in a teaspoon of vanilla extract, if you have it (or a dash of Bourbon or brandy or just leave it out entirely). Finally, whisk in 1 1/2 cups flour (either all-purpose or cake flour), mixing vigorously to eliminate any lumps.

  3. Step 3

    Grease an 8- or 9-inch pan (square, round, star-shaped, anything is good). Pour the batter into the pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 40 minutes, until the top springs back when the center is lightly pressed. The deeper the pan, the longer it will take to bake through.

  4. Step 4

    Let cool, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar to finish.
NY Times
cooking.nytimes.com