What mayonnaise does in cake
Mayonnaise cake is an old-fashioned idea that sounds odd but makes sense once you look at the ingredients. Mayonnaise is mostly oil, with an egg-based emulsifier and a little acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. A cake needs fat, some liquid and an acid to react with baking soda, so the jar covers several jobs at once.
Published recipes for chocolate mayonnaise cake describe the mayo as replacing the oil in a typical chocolate cake, with the result being a very moist, tender crumb. One recipe from a major test kitchen calls it an ideal birthday cake, and another gluten-free version describes it as a throwback to a 1950s dessert. Those versions use regular mayonnaise and, in some cases, eggs as well. The cake you will make here relies on vegan mayonnaise and has no eggs.
Is mayonnaise vegan?
Traditional mayonnaise is not vegan, because it contains egg (usually egg yolk). Vegan mayonnaise is made without egg, typically using ingredients such as plant proteins, starches or aquafaba to hold the oil and acid together. Always check the label, since products described as “light” or “eggless” are not always vegan, and ingredients can change.
Choosing a vegan mayonnaise
Which vegan mayonnaise is the best depends on your taste and your recipe, so there is no single answer. For cake, some practical guidelines:
- Pick a neutral flavor. In a chocolate cake, a mild, plain vegan mayo disappears. Strongly flavored, garlicky or sweet-and-sour styles may be more noticeable.
- Choose a full-fat, regular-style product. Reduced-fat spreads contain more water and starch, so the cake may behave differently.
- Avoid flavored versions. Skip chipotle, garlic or other seasoned products.
- Read the ingredients. Confirm it is egg-free and check for any allergens, such as soy or mustard, if they matter to you.
- Use the same jar for the whole recipe. Brands vary in thickness, so do not mix them in one batch.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (35 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 g) vegan mayonnaise
- 1 cup (240 ml) cool water or cooled brewed coffee
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coffee deepens chocolate flavor without tasting strongly of coffee, though plain water works fine if you prefer.
Vegan chocolate mayonnaise cake recipe
This is a starting-point recipe based on the long-standing mayonnaise cake method, adapted for vegan mayo. Brands of mayo differ, so the first bake is a useful test.
Makes: one 9-inch square cake, about 9 slices
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch square pan and line it with parchment.
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the vegan mayonnaise, water or coffee and vanilla.
- Whisk or beat until the batter is smooth with no streaks of flour. It will be fairly thin.
- Pour into the pan and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the top springs back and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out or leave in the pan to frost once completely cool.
To make a layer cake, divide the batter between two 8-inch pans and bake for a shorter time, checking early.
Frosting
A simple vegan chocolate frosting works well: beat softened vegan butter until creamy, add sifted powdered sugar and cocoa, and loosen with a splash of plant milk and vanilla. The cake is moist enough that a thin layer of frosting or a dusting of powdered sugar is sufficient. If you are trying to cut back on sugar, see our no-sugar vegan cake guide for frosting alternatives.
Tips and troubleshooting
- Sift the cocoa. It clumps easily, and clumps are hard to whisk out of a thin batter.
- Do not overmix. Beat until smooth, then stop. Overmixing can make the cake tough.
- Bake until just done. A moist cake is easy to overbake into a dry one.
- Cool before frosting. Warm cake melts frosting and tears when sliced.
- If the cake sinks, the oven may have been too cool, the baking soda old, or the cake underbaked. Check the soda’s freshness and use an oven thermometer if you can.
Can you eat cake as a vegan?
Yes. Vegans can eat cake as long as it is made without eggs, dairy, honey and other animal-derived ingredients. For a look at traditional plant-based baking, see our vegan Russian desserts. Many cakes can be made vegan using oil, plant milk and egg replacers like mayonnaise, applesauce or flax. Keep in mind that some sugar is processed with bone char in certain regions, which some vegans avoid, so check labels if that matters to you.
Storage
Store the cake covered at room temperature for a day or two. If it has a frosting that needs to stay cool, refrigerate it. Slices freeze well when wrapped tightly, and mayo-based cakes tend to stay moist after thawing.
More cakes in this series
- Vegan tahini cake for a nutty loaf
- No-sugar vegan cake for a reduced-sugar approach
- Sugar-free coconut cake for a low-carb coconut alternative