Mayonnaise cakes have always been a staple for my family, especially during our marathon of
birthdays during February and March. This recipe was given to me by my mother who got it
from her mother, and I’ve taken this family recipe and added a flowery twist: a rose flavored
icing that perfectly complements the chocolate of the cake. The addition of mayonnaise makes it
pleasantly moist and brings together the flavors to make simple yet splendid cake layers. No
need to save this recipe for a special occasion, there’s always a reason to eat cake!
Makes one cake.
For the pans:
Crisco shortening
Flour
For the cake:
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
1⁄2 tsp salt
11⁄4 cup water
3⁄4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the icing:
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted
1⁄4 cup currant jelly or raspberry jam
1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp rose water
2 tbsp whole milk or cream
Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or 180 degrees Celsius) and prepare two 9” round.
cake pans by spreading a thin layer of Crisco on the inside and coating that with a thin layer of
flour, making sure to get rid of any excess flour.
2) Place a sifter in a large mixing bowl and measure in the sugar, flour, baking soda, cocoa
powder, and salt. Sift twice.
3) Add the water, mayonnaise, and vanilla extract, and stir by hand until completely combined. Pour
equal amounts of batter into each cake pan.
4) Bake for 20 minutes, checking the middle with a toothpick to ensure they are cooked all of the
way through. When they are done, set them out on a wire rack to cool completely.
5) While the cakes are cooling, whisk the confectioner’s sugar, butter, jelly, nutmeg, and rose
water in a medium bowl until smooth. When there are no lumps left, stir the milk in. Feel free to
add 1 tbsp more milk if the frosting is too thick.
6) When the cake layers have cooled off, take them out of the pans and place one layer bottom
- Spread a layer of frosting on the flat surface of that cake, then place the other cake on top of
that.
The last step is to cover the rest of the cake with frosting and let sit for at least an hour to let
the icing settle, and enjoy!
