I made this cake in an emergency, and emergency was I needed chocolate cake.
Need is the main word. If you are a woman you know what I mean.
Problem is that I had no eggs no milk no oil. So I found this old recipe using mayonnaise. It was a quick substitute for all the above that I was missing. In search of a cake recipe that I can also turn over to my four-year-nephew (with supervision of course), I wanted something easy no fail, foolproof, moist, and chocolatey.
After much speculation of the mayonnaise, I mixed it, baked it, tasted it, as if by magic, it worked- deliciously. Sometimes... simple is just better.
This incredibly easy to make moist cake can be served as a quick afternoon school snack but turned out and dressed up for company with dust of confectioners sugar and a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 Cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Baileys or Kalua (optional)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (optional)
1. Adjust an oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees lightly coat an 8 inch square pan cake with vegetable oil spray, or 12 cup cupcake tin lined (you will have some batter left over if using cupcakes I made 5 mini cupcakes with the extra batter)
2. Whisk flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa and water together until smooth. Whisk in the mayonnaise, cinnamon and vanilla stir in the mayonnaise mixture into the flour mixture until combined.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake come out with a few crumbs attached 35 to 40 minutes ( if using cupcakes bake 22 minutes)
4. With a toothpick poke little holes in the cake. Pour Kalua or Bailey's tablespoon at a time over the cake. Let it sit between each pour for 20 seconds.
5. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack one to two hours. Cut into squares answer straight from the pan or turn the cake out onto a serving platter and best with confectioners sugar if desired.
