Cakes

Chocolate Mayonnaise Sheet Cake

Chocolate Mayonnaise Sheet Cake is a moist and chocolatey sheet cake topped with a thick layer of chocolate cream cheese

  • Serves 16
  • Prep 15 minutes
  • Cook 30 minutes

chocolatemayonnaise

Jump to the recipe
Chocolate Mayonnaise Sheet Cake

This cake is very similar to this Duke’s Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake, but in a much easier to make sheet cake form. It will be a hit at your next potluck or cookout.

Mayonnaise cakes became popular in the 1970s. This particular Chocolate Mayonnaise Sheet Cake is moist, dense, and so full of chocolate flavor.

Recipe Tips:

It has a little cinnamon in it for extra flavor. If you’re not a fan of cinnamon with chocolate, you can leave it out.

Mayonnaise is made from oil and eggs so it makes sense that it makes a good cake ingredient. Use a quality mayonnaise. I prefer to use Duke’s Mayonnaise, but Hellman’s is another good brand.

Be sure the water you add to the batter is hot. Hot water helps “bloom” the cocoa powder and prevents the cake from being dry.

If not eaten the day it is baked, this cake should be refrigerated.

The mayonnaise gives the cake a wonderful texture, but don’t worry, you won’t notice the flavor of the mayonnaise.

More Sheet Cake Recipes

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com

Recipe

Chocolate Mayonnaise Sheet Cake

Chocolate Mayonnaise Sheet Cake is a moist and chocolatey sheet cake topped with a thick layer of chocolate cream cheese icing. It's an old-fashioned southern favorite that makes a wonderful sweet ending to a meal.

  • Serves 16
  • Prep 15 minutes
  • Cook 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cake Batter

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/3 cups hot water

Frosting

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, (softened)
  • 1/2 cup butter, (softened)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13-inch pan with baking spray with flour.

  2. 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

  3. 3

    Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla extract at medium-high speed for 3 minutes.

  4. 4

    With mixer on low, add mayonnaise and beat just until combined.

  5. 5

    Alternate between adding flour mixture and hot water, (adding flour in 3 additons and water in two and beating just until mixed in before adding next addition).

  6. 6

    Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

  7. 7

    To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until creamy.

  8. 8

    Whisk together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Beat half the mixture into the butter mixture.

  9. 9

    Beat in the heavy cream and then the remaining powdered sugar mixture. If too thick, add a little more cream.

  10. 10

    Spread frosting on cake.

Notes

Cake should be stored in the refrigerator if not eaten the day it is baked.

Equipment

  • Baking spray with flour

Nutrition

  • Calories507 kcal

More recipes

Eight more recipes from the rest of the kitchen.