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 The bundt pan only holds 10 cups of batter, so this cake was perfect since the recipe originally made an 8-inch round cake.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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Susan
Does the temperature of the mayo matter? As in straight out of the fridge vs. room temp?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Susan – I used it straight out of the fridge but room temperature would probably work even better.
Christine
Hi Barbara,
As others have stated, my granny also had this recipe. One thing she did though was used 1 cup cold coffee instead of water. Some may like this substitute as it adds additional flavor.
Barbara Schieving
Sounds like a great addition. Thanks for sharing Christine!
Marcella
Great Cake I used pillsbury chocolate mix. Water and mayonnaise it was very good.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for sharing Marcella! Glad it was a hit.
Joyce
My grandmother had this exact recipe in her handwriting. I am baking it tonight, but using gluten free flour and I just couldn’t do mayonnaise, so I substituted coconut oil instead. She had a icing recipe on hers too. I’ll see how it turns out!
I’m also baking it in a square pan on 350 for 30 minutes and toothpick came out clean. It may have been ready at 25 minutes…as I was starting to smell it.
I’m taking it to a pot luck so hopefully it is a winner and not a bomb!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Joyce – I hope it’s a hit. The mayonnaise also adds egg to the recipe.
Valerie
THIS CAKE IS AMAZING…made it in my new bundt pan and just dusted with sugar, unbelievably moist and the easiest cake I’ve ever made. Thank you so much.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Valerie! So glad it was a hit 🙂
Glenna
I just finished this cake, my husband tasted it and it went straight in the trash! Awful!!
Barbara Schieving
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it. It’s a classic cake, perhaps you changed something or forgot an ingredient.
Kniqui
I made a mistake and measured before sifting. I wonder if that will ruin it. Was it the texture or flavor or both?
Barbara Schieving
Shouldn’t make a big difference unless you packed the flour into the cup. Hope you enjoy it.
Kniqui
I beat and added an egg to the first cake. It was heavy but the group ate the whole thing in one sitting. I am making it again following the directions this time.
I melt a dark chocolate bar in the doubled boiler and drizzled for a topping then made a vanilla icing and poured that on top as well. This time I will use a red icing since it will be eaten by Vampire table-top role playing gamers.
Lisa Gialucci
Hi- if I had a husband that threw my cake in the trash, I’d have a long thought if he ever had any manners.
That sounds awful.Lisa
Mike D Traywick
I always tell my wife ,that’s the way I like it! He should be happy that you do anything for him, especially with that attitude.
Fani
Hello again, this cake turned out quite well in a flat pan. I love the recipe. I now use it all the time! Thank you!
Barbara Schieving
Great! Thanks for the update. 🙂
Fani
I made this and it turned out great! It got rave reviews. I am making it again right now but in a flat pan. Curious to see the results. Thank you.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Fani! You’ll have to let me know how it turns out in a 9×13 pan.
Maria
I needed a last minute cake to take to take to an end of school picnic today. Had no eggs or butter or time and found this recipe. Started this cake at 8am and had this DONE by 9am. It was one of the first deserts that disappeared! I used coffee for the water and Hershey’s’ Dark Cocoa. Delicious. I will def make again! Thank you.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Maria! That’s so fun. I’m glad it was a hit.
Brandie
I made this cake for the first time on mothers 5/8/16 it came out so moist and delicious I can’t wait to make it again . As I was making it I thought of using coffee instead of water like I usually make my chocolate cakes with . Next time I will try that . A must keep recipe !!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Brandie – glad you enjoyed it. I like the idea of using coffee instead of water.
Susan Gillick
I have this recipe from my Mom – she always called it the Waldorf Astoria cake. She claimed it was developed at the Waldorf in New York, during the Depression because of rationing. It was my Dad’s favorite cake, so we often had it with a good amount of chocolate buttercream frosting on it!! I have also made it many times over the years!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Susan – that’s a fun story. Thanks for sharing.
Suzanne
Coffee instead of water adds a richness of flavor that we really love.
D Zambotti
That was my first thought too! Can’t wait to go home and try it this evening. I’m also considering making mug cakes with this recipe….. cutting it to one fourth and microwaving. Hubby likes desserts but I don’t need a whole cake tempting me.
Carlyn
To fill the bundt pan double this recipe and increase baking time to 50 minutes or when toothpick comes clean in center.
Barbara Schieving
I haven’t tried this, if you do just be sure not to fill the pan more than 2/3 full.
Jenelle
The cake looked amazing dark and perfect, but the taste was HORRIBLE. I’m a culinary arts student and I know I followed the recipe correctly. But it was bitter and only tasted like flour and wasn’t sweet at all! Even the batter was disgusting
Barbara Schieving
Sorry Jenelle – sounds to me like you forgot to add the sugar, or perhaps you used Dutch-process cocoa?
Olga
That looks super good 🙂 will be trying it very soon….was wondering if I will substitute water with milk….will it make lots of difference? Thanx
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Olga – I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see any reason you couldn’t use milk instead of water. Let me know how it goes.
Cheryl
Nordic Ware sent me a Blossom Bundt pan to replace a Bavaria pan that I was extremely dissatisfied with the pan because of the dark teflon coating. I always had a very crusty cake. I believe the Blossom pan is a 10-cup pan also. I may give this recipe a try. Do you think it would work in a 6-cup pan?
Barbara Schieving
You can try it. Only fill the pan 2/3’s full and then if there’s extra batter, bake it in mini loaf pans.
Wesam
thanks ator this amazng recipe > but i awant to ask you 350° mean ° C or ° F ?
Barbara Schieving
F
justine
wow this cake looks amazing but i want to know if I used all-purpose flour i will use the same amount or i must use 1 and 3/4 cup filour with 1/4 cup cornstarch .
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Justine – you can use the same amount of all purpose flour. The cake will be just a little more dense.
Susan Gillick
Mom’s recipe called for 2 scant cups of all purpose flour – take a tablespoon out of each cup to make it scant.
Robin
I am wondering can you use miracle whip instead of mayo?
Barbara Schieving
I like Miracle Whip but don’t think it would work in this recipe.
Susan Gillick
Due to budget concerns making this cake about every 2 – 4 weeks, Mom always used the cheapest salad dressing she could find. She never used her Helmann’s!!!! So you could probably make it with Miracle Whip, as it is considered a salad dressing instead of a mayo!!
sadiya
Hi, can I make this with all purpose four, I dont have cake flour ?
Barbara Schieving
Hi – you could use all purpose flour, or you could also make cake flour but using 1 34/ cup all purpose flour and whisking it with 1/4 cup cornstarch.