Texas Chocolate Mayo Cake Takes The Classic Dessert To New Levels

Chocolate cake is one of the most searched types of cake on Google, which speaks to this dessert's popularity. While a classic chocolate cake recipe is often pretty straightforward, there are also some twists on this recipe that give it a unique flavor. 

One such twist on your standard chocolate cake is a Texas chocolate mayo cake. This chocolate cake, as you might guess from the name, contains mayonnaise. Even though this ingredient might sound like it gives your cake a strange, tangy flavor, you can't actually taste the mayonnaise at all. Instead, you get a much richer and moister cake, leading to an extra-yummy spin on a classic chocolate dessert. 

If the idea of a Texas chocolate mayo cake has piqued your interest, there's a little bit more to know about this dessert than just the fact that it contains an unexpected ingredient. Knowing some of the background and some baking tips for making this cake are what will ultimately help you get a next-level dessert.

We already know that adding mayo to your cake makes it extra moist and gives it a richer flavor. However, if you want to make this specific cake, there's a little bit more to know than just that.

In terms of why you want to add mayo to your chocolate cake, it pays to know what mayonnaise is. Mayo is an emulsion made primarily of eggs, oil, and vinegar or lemon juice. When you add mayonnaise to your cake, these ingredients can serve as a substitute for the fat and eggs that you'd normally add to a standard cake recipe. On top of that, the mayonnaise helps equalize the sugar in your recipe thanks to the vinegar (or lemon juice) found in it. Finally, the oil in the condiment means you get an extra fine crumb that's not dry.

If all these perks appeal, you can easily make a chocolate mayo cake yourself at home. This cake includes ingredients typically found in a chocolate cake, however, it includes the addition of 1 cup of mayonnaise. Some recipes also call for eggs. The traditional Texas chocolate mayo cake is usually baked in a sheet pan and not served up as a layer cake.

Texas chocolate mayo cake is a dessert that's been around for quite some time. Many sources attribute this recipe to first appearing during the Great Depression. However, just before the Great Depression, in 1927, the Oakland Tribune published a chocolate mayo cake recipe that involved creating a quick, homemade mayonnaise that got added to a classic cake batter. So, mayo cake may be even older than some people think.

Several years after this original recipe was published, however, mayonnaise cake started to become popular. This may be where the link to the Great Depression lies since butter and dairy were both scarce during this time period. That meant that mayonnaise made for an easy and more affordable substitute in recipes.

Besides the Great Depression theory, another reason why this cake may have grown in popularity is thanks to commercial mayonnaise companies publishing mayo cake recipes of their own — including Best Foods and Miracle Whip. Doing so helped boost sales for their ready-made mayonnaise while also increasing the hype surrounding this cake recipe. Regardless of how mayonnaise cake became popular, what we do know is that it's still enjoyed today thanks to its rich flavor and extra-moist texture!