09/14/2026
Level up your chocolate cake game with this unexpected ingredient. 👀
Our decadent chocolate cake uses mayo and coffee, which gives it an intense chocolate flavor and moist, fudge-y texture. We used our baker's skillet in this video, but you can also use your favorite 10.25 inch classic cast iron skillet to make this recipe. Let us know if you try it out! Recipe below. ⬇️
Cake ingredients:
2 cups AP flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup buttermilk
¾ cup hot water with 1 Tablespoon espresso powder dissolved
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting ingredients:
1 stick butter, unsalted & softened
¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
4-6 Tablespoons of milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Spray a 10.25 inch skillet with baker’s joy or your favorite cooking oil and spread over the entire cooking surface
3. Heat the ¾ cup of water in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add the 1 Tablespoon espresso powder and stir. If you don't have espresso powder, just use ¾ cup hot coffee instead of the water/espresso mix. Set aside.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, stir flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
5. In a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the mayo, buttermilk, water + espresso powder (or coffee), and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
6. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until there are no visible dry lumps. Pour batter into the prepared 10.25” baker’s skillet and bake for 35-40 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before frosting.
8. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting.
9. In a large bowl, combine softened butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract and mix until it’s blended.
10. Next, mix the powdered sugar (one cup at a time) and 4 tablespoons of milk until combined. After you add the second cup of powdered sugar, you may need to add more milk to reach your desired frosting consistency. If so, add only 1 tablespoon of milk at a time.
11. Add a pinch of salt and mix a little more.
Spread over the cooled cake and enjoy!