Veganization: Chocolate “Mayonnaise” Cake

Chocolate mayonnaise cake makes a case for classics being classic for a reason! Its inception, heyday, and rediscovery span 100 years because it is as accessible as it is decadent.

Whether served as a humble snack cake or impressive dessert, this recipe delivers chocolate luxury with each pillowy bite. Only those who know the secret ingredient will sense an occasional wink of brightness from the vegan mayonnaise.

A Note on Vegan Mayonnaise

I have no affiliation with Chosen Foods (or any of the linked companies herein); I ran taste and cake tests with seven different US-nationally available “mayonnaises”, and liked Chosen Foods Vegan Mayo best both times.

To achieve the photographed cake, Chosen Foods Vegan Mayo is required. That said, there are numerous reasons why you might need to use a different product including (but not limited to):

• food allergies
• product availability
• grocery budget
• taste preferences

Everything I tested produced a cake after all! Should you use another product from my review, expect the following outcomes:

A Note on Sugar

Nutritionally speaking, sugar is inherently plant-based. Yet how it is filtered may involve charcoal from animal bones making it non-vegan.

If I’ve already given you enough information on sugar, then start baking!

But if you wish to source a cruelty-free sweetener, then here are two guidelines:

1. The sugar in your pantry is probably vegan.

As of this writing, the following brands do not incorporate animal products into their practices:

• American Crystal Sugar
• Bob’s Red Mill
• Florida Crystals
• Imperial Sugar/Dixie Crystals
• Now Foods
• Wholesome
• Zulka

And these are just names I recognize! More appear on a similar list by PETA.

Personally, I am compelled to sing praises for Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar. Somehow, at all stores within a reasonable driving distance from me, it boasts the lowest price by weight – sometimes even beating store-brand sugar when it’s on sale!

Speaking of store-brand sugar, the only way to tell if it’s vegan is if the ingredients list states “sugar from sugar beets” (or something similar); if it mentions “pure cane sugar” or solely “sugar”, then it’s almost impossible to know – unless it’s organic.

2. All organic sugar is vegan.

But also, all organic sugar is more expensive.

Only you can decide what’s right for you, your resources, your values, etc. Even PETA advises:

Don’t stress too hard about sugar if you’re unsure about how it was produced…

Print Recipe

Veganization: Chocolate “Mayonnaise” Cake

Author: Does It Vegan? Cooking Method: Baking, Mixing, Sifting, Whisking Cuisine: US-American Category: Desserts

Description

A famously rich chocolate mayonnaise cake that yields to the fork and tongue can be made just as well with Chosen Foods Vegan Mayo.

Ingredients

• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (340 mL/330 g) Chosen Foods Vegan Mayonnaise (about 1 12-oz jar)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (340 mL/287 g) sugar
• 3 cups (680 mL/402 g) all-purpose flour
• 5 Tbsp (75 mL/25 g) Dutched cocoa
• 2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda
• ³⁄₄ tsp (4 mL) kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp/2.5 mL table salt)
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (340 mL/340 g) water
• frosting and/or other toppings (as desired)

Instructions

Prepare

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C); Butter and flour a 10-in (25-cm) tube pan.

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2. To a large mixing bowl, add sugar and mayonnaise; Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; Hold water in a liquid measuring cup.
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Mix Batter

1. Cream mayonnaise and sugar using a hand mixer or whisking vigorously. Work from low to high speed.

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2. On low speed, alternately mix-in dry ingredients and water to mayonnaise-sugar mixture until everything is incorporated. Gradually increase speed to high to produce a smooth batter.

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Bake

1. Transfer batter to pan, then bake 45 minutes. Meanwhile, grab a wire rack. Cool on rack 10 minutes. 

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2. Loosen by running a dull knife between cake and pan, then turn cake onto rack.

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Finish

1. Wait 1 hour before decorating and serving as desired.

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Note

Using more vegan mayonnaise and non-dairy milk, I followed the frosting recipe in Dylan Hollis's cookbook Baking Yesteryear.

When I tested this recipe, I took a very scientific approach measuring everything to the gram. But it's not lost on me that the volume of "mayonnaise", sugar, and water are the same with that of flour being twice as much. Would someone please make this cake using the vegan mayonnaise jar as a measuring cup (and then tag me)? My freezer is still stocked with trials!

Peruse my vegan mayonnaise product review or other vegan mayonnaise recipes!

Keywords: chocolate, mayonnaise, vegan mayonnaise, cake, Bundt cake, tube pan