Duke’s Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

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.

Duke's Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

5 from 1 vote

By Christin Mahrlig

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Servings: 16

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Mayonnaise make an exceptionally moist and rich chocolate cake. This southern dessert is so easy and delicious!

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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

Note: You may have a hard time frosting the sides of the cake without crumbs showing. If so, spread a thin layer of frosting on sides, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes and then do a second thicker coat.

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe Source: Duke’s Mayonnaise

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Another favorite southern dessert is this Banana Pudding Cake!