Chances are…
Chances are, you took one look at the title of this post and you…
RAN THE OTHER WAY.
I know these cupcakes sound crazy, but they are also crazy good. The unexpected secret ingredient keeps them soft, light, and super fudgey, without any added oil. They taste almost like a brownie in the shape of a cupcake, and they’re so rich they don’t even need any frosting!
Using mayonnaise to add depth and flavor to cakes is hardly a new concept. The idea is much older than me, and it’s probably older than most of you as well. Also known as Wacky Cakes or Chocolate Depression Cakes, the origin of mayonnaise cakes can be traced back to the Great Depression, when ingredients such as butter, eggs, and milk were scarce, which forced bakers to get creative.
Today I’m posting a healthier cupcake adaptation of my grandmother’s popular Wacky Cake recipe. (Her version of the classic cake is most likely similar to other versions you’ll find either online or passed down from generation to generation in your own families.)
I’ve played around with the original recipe’s ingredient proportions in order to cut back on the sugar while still maintaining a delicate and fluffy texture—these rich and decadent cupcakes turned out so much better than I’d even hoped.
Instead of frosting, I topped them with Healthy Nutella.
They’re also delicious without any frosting at all!
Why the recipe works:
Vinegar reacts with the baking soda, which forms bubbles and thus makes the cupcakes rise, without needing any eggs. Just be sure to follow the recipe instructions and bake immediately after pouring wet into dry, as the vinegar reaction begins as soon as the two ingredients meet. You’ll find vinegar in many of my recipes, such as Eggy Breakfast Bread or the Chocolate-Chip Biscuits, as it’s a trick I often employ for light, fluffy baked goods.
In this particular recipe, the vinegar present in the mayonnaise is what reacts with the baking soda. I can vouch for the recipe working with Vegenaise (low-fat or regular) as well as Earth Balance Mindful Mayo. If you want to use a homemade mayo-type spread: although I can’t vouch for every single homemade mayo spread out there, it should work as long as your mayo spread includes vinegar (or lemon juice) and a fat source such as oil or cashews. If you are using a homemade mayo-type spread, I highly recommend omitting any onion powder and mustard that might be called for in your recipe!
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes
(or Devil’s Food Cupcakes)
- 1/2 cup spelt or all-purpose flour (65g) (Arrowhead Mills gf also works.)
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder (15g) (not Dutch)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup xylitol or sugar of choice (90g)
- 1/4 cup mayo-style spread, such as Vegenaise (See above paragraph for other brands that work.) (58g)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp water (95g)
Preheat oven to 350 F and place 6 cupcake liners inside a muffin pan. In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients and sift very well. In a separate bowl, combine remaining three ingredients and whisk until the mayo is completely smooth. Now pour wet into dry and stir until just combined. Immediately divide among the cupcake liners—it won’t seem like a lot of filling, but these cupcakes rise a lot! Bake 21 minutes, then let sit 15 minutes before removing from the pan. These taste ten times more fudgey and rich the next day, so bake the day before eating if possible. Store in the fridge. (Cupcakes in the photos are frosted with my healthy Nutella recipe linked below the second photo on this page.)
View Chocolate Cupcakes Nutrition Facts
Are you brave enough to try them?
Or have you ever tried using mayonnaise in baked goods before? Honestly, I think this might be the best cupcake I’ve ever eaten!
Link of the Day:
Ann says
Why not dutch cocoa? Does it react badly with the vinegar?
Sali says
I just tried this recipe today using Kraft Olive Oil mayo and by stretching my mixture into 12 cups instead of just 6. Came out beautiful! You were right, they can stand alone without any icing at all.
For anyone curious; the texture is a lot like those double chocolate chip odis spunkemyer muffins, only they are moist and fudgey all the way to the bottom and not just at the very top.
Charlotte says
Oh my goodness, these are absolutely some of the moistest, fudgiest and all around best cupcakes I have ever eaten! I chilled them overnight as recommended (ok, fine, maybe I ate ONE right out of the oven first), and then frosted them with some peanut butter that I warmed in the microwave and sweetened with a few drops of liquid stevia. Divine.
katerina lopez says
Could I use oat flour?
Georgina says
This may be a silly question, but I’m just vegetarian at the moment and am working with what I’ve already got at home. Could I use normal, non-vegan organic mayonnaise?
sara says
can this be made into a cake in a 8×8 pan?
Haytch says
mayo does make for incredible light and moist cakes..even when i make them!
my family dont mind it but personally it just turns my stomach and I feel nauseous a few hours after eating one….shame as these are the only ones i can successfully make!
Grace says
Hi Katie! I’ve made this recipe before using spelt flour and it turned out amazing. However, I recently found I am gluten-sensitive and I do not always have gluten free flour on hand. I was wondering if oat flour could possibly work?
Rachel says
Hi Katie, I love your blog!! I tested this recipe yesterday for my twin boys first birthday party. It was delicious! I will need to make around 60 cupcakes though…do you happen to know if it scales up well? If not, can you recommend another crowd pleasing cupcake recipe of yours that scales well for a crowd? Thanks!
Jen says
I made these once before and they were so delicious, and I got lots of compliments. When I tried today, however, they still taste great, but didn’t rise as much as I wanted, and sunk in the middle. Anyone got any ideas why?
Maybe I should use self-raising flour instead of plain flour?
fran says
this is my second time making these cupcakes. its not that weird if u think about it. its just acidic oil with “egg whites”- the mayo I use is a vegan aquafaba one xxx I also added some rum ;))
Amy G says
Oh my! Super yummy! I’m not vegan, so I just used regular mayo and I used King Arthur all purpose flour and organic cane sugar.
They were much more delicate than I thought they would be so we had a bit of trouble frosting them. Probably would be easier if we’d put them in the fridge awhile before frosting them but oh well. I’ll definitely try these again… super moist and delicious!
Dave says
Have you ever had Terry’s Chocolate Orange? I used to buy these, when I lived in the US, at Christmas time. They’re delicious.
So I was wondering if you thought orange curd might work as a replacement for the mayo? It would have the acidity required to react with the baking soda. This would give the cupcakes a nice note of orange to go with the chocolate.
Daeralda says
My dads’ fave dessert is chocolate mayonnaise cake. No one can ever come close to the way his mom made his favorite foods. This year I decided to make cupcakes instead of cake and found your recipe. I used King Arthur brand 1:1 gluten free flour and doubled your recipe to make a dozen cupcakes, going ever so light on the sugar and using dutch processed cocoa. I love how fudgey and moist they are! Recipe has been saved for future use. Thank you!