Its not usual that I would share a cake with you two days in a row, but I just can't help myself. I really need to share my down sized version of Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with you. Anyone who has ever eaten a chocolate mayonnaise cake will tell you, they are the richest and moistest chocolate cakes!
Developed during the second world war they were designed so that people could still enjoy a delicious cake at a time when eggs, butter and shortening were rationed. Mayonnaise can sound like a really strange ingredient . . . . but let me reassure you there is absolutely nothing "salady" about this cake!
It is a lovely moist cake with a delicious chocolate flavour. I used cocoa powder for this, which works perfectly.
The delicious Toffee Icing really caps it off beautifully! Its a very easy make, all in a saucepan.
The cake itself was baked in a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin, which I lined one of with these paper loaf tin liners that I got at Lakeland many moons ago. They work just like a cupcake liner. You can use just ordinary baking paper cut to size.
The cake itself goes together in a jiffy. You just sift together flour, cocoa powder, soda and baking powder. There is no salt in the recipe. You don't need it because of the mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise and sugar are whisked together with a small quantity of water. This gets added to the flour mixture and everything stirred together until smooth.
This rich batter gets spread in the loaf tin and then baked. Once baked you leave it to cool completely in the tin. I am not sure why, but that's just the way it has always been done.
I think it might actually help to contribute to the moistness of this cake.
Once the cake is completely cold you mix together a simple toffee fudge icing in a saucepan, which gets spread on top of the cake.
Oh, it is lovely. Rich and the toffee flavour goes beautifully with that rich and moist chocolate cake.
They are the perfect fit for each other!
This is the perfect sized snack cake for a smaller family, cutting into six perfect slices.
I do have a recipe for a full sized Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake here and just went to look for it so I could link you up to it, but alas I have never posted it on here for some reason! Its basically the same cake, ingredients doubled and baked in a 9 inch square pan.
This cake however, is the perfect size for a family that is just two. Perfect for elevensies or after school, teatime or any other time you want a lovely bit of chocolate cake to snack on!
Yield: 6
Small Family Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
This recipe makes a small loaf cake, 6 by 9 inches in size. Moist and chocolatey with a lush Brown Sugar Fudge Icing.
ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 140g plain flour (1 cup)
- 1 1/2 TBS cocoa powder, packed (not chocolate drinking powder)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 110g full fat or low fat mayonnaise (not no-fat) (1/2 cup)
- 95g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 120ml water (1/2 cup)
For the frosting:
- 2 TBS butter
- 50g soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 TBS milk
- 60g sifted icing sugar (1/2 cup)
instructions:
How to cook Small Family Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
- Preheat the cake to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf tin and line with baking paper. Set aside.
- Cream together the mayonnaise and sugar until smooth. Stir in the water and vanilla. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda. Stir this into the wet ingredients until well combined. Scrape into the prepared loaf tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.
- To make the icing, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and bring to the boil. Boil until the mixture begins to thicken, about 1 1/2 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the milk, carefully. Return to the heat and bring back to the boil. Rmove from the heat and cool until it is just warm. Stir in the icing sugar until smooth and then spread on top of the cake evenly. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Make sure you DON'T use NO-fat mayonnaise for this cake. You can use low fat with not much difference, but no fat will result in a rubbery cake which is much saltier than it should be. This recipe as written is absolutely perfect. Trust me on this.
