Merciful God, You are great in compassion and Your tenderness for us is without measure. We ask You to give us today our daily bread, and also provide for the needs of all of Your hungry children around the world. Through Christ Your Son and Our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

.


We're back to dessert, and this one is a classic. Chocolate Mayonnaise cake is a cake made with, duh, mayonnaise, which replaces the eggs and the fat in a regular scratch cake. It's a dense cake, slightly moist, but not quite fudgy moist. It has great chocolate flavor, and a depth of flavor not found in a regular chocolate cake made with eggs and fat. I have, with success, used low fat mayonnaise and salad dressing in this cake, so it could be a low fat choice (if you skip the frosting and maybe just dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar).

This recipe was passed down from my husband's grandmother, and to me that makes it a better recipe than one found in any old cookbook. I've said before that a recipe that evokes emotion is a recipe to keep. I love thinking about my husband's father eating this cake as a little boy, and then my own husband eating it as a little boy. Those images make the cake even sweeter. The frosting is my own.





Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
serves 12-20

Printer version

3 cups flour
3 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
6 T. cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 t. vanilla
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup salad dressing (Miracle Whip)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 13 x 9 or two 8-inch cake pans.

Mix together in a large bowl the flour, soda, salt, cocoa and sugar. In another bowl, mix milk, vanilla, mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. Turn mixer on to medium-low and add about a third of the mayonnaise mixture, mixing thoroughly. Add the second third, then mix, and add last of mayonnaise mixture. Turn mixer on medium-high and beat until smooth.

Divide batter between cake pans (or put all the batter into 13 x 9). Bake for 30-35 minutes for round pans or 40-45 minutes for an oblong pan, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.


Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack (not necessary for oblong pan)
. When cake is cool, frost with frosting of your choice.




Chocolate Frosting

Printer version

5 T. butter, softened, but not mushy
6 T. cocoa
4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk added one tablespoon at a time (I used about 6 T.)

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cocoa until well blended.
Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending thoroughly.
Add vanilla and milk, one tablespoon at a time.
Whip for about a minute after final addition of milk,
until spreading consistency is desired.

Frost top of bottom layer.
Add top layer and frost top and sides.

.










No comments: