A rich, chocolaty, moist, easy-to-make, one bowl chocolate cake made with mayonnaise instead of butter and eggs. This chocolate mayonnaise cake made in a bundt pan is an old fashioned treat that you’ll want to make often.
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My grandma was a sweet, quiet lady, who loved to collect recipes. She passed away decades ago, but we still have her recipe collection, and tucked in with her other favorite saved recipes was a recipe for a $100 cake.
The history of the $100 cake is similar to the Niemann Marcus cookie recipe. Someone was charged an exorbitant amount of money for a recipe from a restaurant, and so they shared it with everyone.
After looking at the ingredients though, I believe it’s more commonly known as a Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake, or a depression era cake. When butter and eggs were scarce you could substitute mayonnaise, which is made from eggs, oil, and a little vinegar, and still bake a rich, delicious cake for a special celebration.
I love the ease of making this recipe. You don’t need a mixer. Just mix your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the center. Then all you need to do is add your liquid ingredients and mix until the batter is well blended.
Since I bake a lot of bundt cakes, I decided to buy a fun, new swirly Heritage Bundt Pan. The bundt pan only holds 10 cups of batter, so this cake was perfect since the recipe originally made an 8-inch round cake.
I decided to top the cake simply with some Smucker’s Salted Caramel and some chopped toasted pecans. The cake is so rich, moist and delicious that it doesn’t really need any topping at all.
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$100 Cake – Chocolate Mayonnaise Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, add mayonnaise, cold water and vanilla. Mix until well blended.
- Pour into greased and floured 10 cup Bundt pan (I used baking spray with flour.) Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
More cake recipes you might like:
Baking Tips for Layer Cakes, Barbara Bakes
Triple Layer Chocolate Cake, Barbara Bakes
Black Forest Cheesecake Cake, Barbara Bakes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake, Love From The Oven
Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake, Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen
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Jamie
I am definitely making this! I have the recipe in an old cookbook and have always been intrigued but never made it yet. It looks amazing! Chocolaty and so moist! Bookmarked for when my son gets home! And love the topping!
Jessica @ Sweet Menu
WOW! What a stunner of a chocolate cake! So dark and rick and that cake pan?? Love that sharp grooved edge wow!
Caryn/The Mid Life Guru
I’ve got to get one of those pans!! An instant way to make any cake a special cake. Can’t wait to try this!!
Aimee @ Simple Bites
Talk about the ultimate chocolate cake! This is gorgeous, Barbara.
Diane {Created by Diane}
That looks like one DELICIOUS Cake!
Sheila
My mom always made this cake!! I loved it. Sorta forgot about it, she also made a cake with only vinegar in it ….hmm I’m going to have to ask her about that one. Thanks for the memories!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
That cake is gorgeous. Your grandmother would be over the moon at what you’ve done with her recipe.
Emily
Oh my gosh! This looks absolutely DIVINE!
Foodiewife
I love baking bundt cakes, and I bought this same pan– which I think makes a spectacular presentation. Making a mayonnaise cake has been on my bucket list for the longest time. I’m so glad you shared this recipe. As soon as I can stand up in the kitchen, again, I want to make this. Your garnish is also brilliant and looks wonderful.
Beth
I haven’t made a mayonnaise cake, but my mom made one of these years ago. As I remember, it was very moist and very chocolatey!
Carol
Ooooo what a beauty! And your addition of salted caramel sauce and toasted pecans? Yum!
Isn’t that pan fun? Good to know an 8″ cake size can be baked in it. I used the my Heritage pan that my friend Cyndy gave me to make your Pumpkin Pound Cake in last fall-I ended up with a cake and some mini cupcakes-all devoured-it’s delicious. About time to break out that pan and bake another one….or this one……
decisions, decisions.
Oh and aren’t family recipe collections THE BEST? I have quite a few and treasure each and every one of them. 🙂
Medeja
This cake looks chocolaty and moist.. Definitely is worth trying 🙂
Angie@Angie's Recipes
What a glorious chocolate bundt cake! I must get this bundt form too.
Joanna (Everyday Made Fresh)
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I have never heard of such and it’s a lifesaver with a daughter who is allergic to eggs and still wants to enjoy cake. I am going to make this and use Veganiese in place of the mayo!
http://everydaymadefresh.com
Barbara Schieving
I read that Veganiese works well in a chocolate mayo cake. I hope your daughter loves it.
Bebe
Wow looks amazing, I actually want to eat that cake and that’s a shocker because I don’t like chocolate. I’ve heard of using mayo in cake recipes but I thought it sounded gross until I read your post. Because yes it makes absolute sense that you can use it in place of eggs and oil and the vinegar goes too because that’s what’s used in buttermilk. I’m so glad I read this, now I’m inspired to make it, my kids loooove chocolate and I’m sure I’ll be having a slice (or 2) since it looks so scrumptious and moist 😉
Ala
Love this so much, Barbara! I sub in mayo for eggs frequently in my brownies when I forget to run to the store and it works beautifully. The simplicity of this time-tested recipe looks great–definitely saving it to make on a time-crunch day!
Sadhna Grover
Amazing recipe, can I use egg free mayonnaise. thanks for sharing.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks! I haven’t tried it with egg free mayonnaise, but it might work depending on what they used instead of eggs.
Ben
Never tried a cake made with mayonnaise before but it makes sense that you can and I sure do love mayonnaise. The cake looks great, really moist.
Hailey @ Tasteful Cuisine
Wow, that cake is beautiful! I’ve heard of using mayonnaise in a cake but have never tried it. It looks like it produces a really moist cake. I will have to add this to my list of recipes to try. Thanks for sharing!
Rosa
Fabulous and so original!
Cheers,
Rosa