Duke’s Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake is an incredibly moist and chocolaty cake that has been popular in the south for generations. So easy to make and uses only simple ingredients.
Probably everyone who was raised in the South has eaten this cake a multitude of times. It’s one of those recipes that really stands the test of time. It is sure to bring back memories for many people. Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake is a southern classic.
Mayonnaise may sound like a strange addition to a cake, but when you think about it, it’s really just oil and eggs. And southerners do love their mayonnaise and put it in and on everything including burgers, sandwiches, casseroles, even cake.
Duke’s Mayonnaise is the mayonnaise brand of choice for many southerners, but it is a very regional product and not widely available outside of the south. You can substitute any brand of mayonnaise.
Many southerners feel almost a cult-like allegiance to Duke’s Mayonnaise and that probably has as much to do with its history as it does the taste.
Duke’s Mayonnaise is a southern made product that came about because of some good ole southern ingenuity and hard work from Mrs. Eugenia Duke. During World War 1, Mrs. Duke started selling sandwiches to soldiers to make extra money. It wasn’t long before people were asking her for her mayonnaise recipe. She eventually began selling her sandwiches to more and more people and is said to have bought her first delivery truck after selling her 11,000th sandwich.
It wasn’t long before she decided to scrap the sandwiches and focus on making the mayonnaise. In 1926 she sold her recipe and brand to the CF Sauer Company. The company proceeded to hire Mrs. Duke as their chief salesperson and the original salesforce selling Duke’s Mayonnaise for the company consisted of all women. It is still produced in Greenville. SC where Mrs Duke began selling sandwiches all those years ago and is made with her original recipe.
Mrs. Duke and Duke’s Mayonnaise are definitely deserving of being celebrated for their important contribution to the food industry in the south and what better way to celebrate than with chocolate cake? Mayonnaise makes this cake exceptionally moist, even days after it is baked. An insanely rich and chocolatey frosting makes it hard to resist.
If you want to purchase Duke’s mayonnaise online you can buy it here
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Duke's Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups Duke's mayonnaise,, use full fat
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
Chocolate Icing
- 1 cup butter,, softened
- 1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 to 6 cups confectioners' sugar
- 6 or more tablespoons of milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
- Sift cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt and sugar into a medium bowl.
- Combine mayonnaise, vanilla and water in an electric mixer at low speed. Once smooth, slowly add in dry mixture until just incorporated (do not over beat).
- Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until done.
- Cool on wire racks.
- For icing, In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and cocoa with whisk attachment until smooth. Add vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar alternately with milk until icing reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Spread a portion of the icing on top of one layer of cake. Stack the other layer on top. Use remaining icing to cover the top and sides.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Source: Duke’s Mayonnaise
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Oh dear lord – you are killing me with this cake Christin – I have added sour cream to a cake before but never mayo – this cake looks so fluffy and light – I think I could eat the whole thing!
I’ve heard awesome things about mayo chocolate cakes, and I think it’s finally time that I just break down and try it. — This looks so SO moist and soft, Christin! I’d a love a big ‘ol piece with a glass of milk right now. 😀
Can I use some other kind of mayonnaise ir only Duke’s mayonnaise.
Yes, you can use Hellman’s or whichever brand you like best.
I’ve not had mayo cake before, but it looks so moist, fluffy, and really delicious!!
Loving this beautiful chocolate cake! You know the addition of mayonnaise really does make sense when you explain it like that, and it probably gives the cake that nice softness with a hint of sour, kind of like sour cream. I really want to try this!
I love a good chocolate cake! I remember the first I heard of using mayo for cake and I wasn’t too sure I liked the notion since I’m not big on mayo alone…but then I thought about it being oil & eggs like you said and it made sense! You would never know, would you, if you weren’t told?
This looks so rich and delicious! Yum 🙂
This looks heavenly. I need to try these ASAP.
My mom used to make a chocolate mayonnaise cake growing up and it was incredible. I’ve never liked mayo much, so when she told me what was in it I was sure I wouldn’t like it. Was I ever wrong! This cake looks so chocolatey and amazing!
This cake looks delicious, Christin! Where I live, we have a fast food place (Portillos) that makes a famous chocolate cake made with mayo. It’s the first time I’ve heard of it, but it does make the cake incredibly moist!
So I’ve never actually had a mayo cake, but I can imagine how creamy and moist it would be. I can’t wait to try this!