Super-Moist Chocolate Cake

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Can you really go wrong with this Old School Super-Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for any occasion?  You’ll want to serve this up, trust me!

Besides, there’s a secret in this chocolate cake that makes it super-ultra-moist layered with a dreamy chocolate buttercream frosting!  We also included this recipe in our 30 Mother’s Day Desserts for Mom!

Moist Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake Secret Ingredient! 

Would you believe Mayonnaise?  Yes, I really said ‘Mayonnaise’!  Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake was a Depression-era (1929-39) dessert that was made popular by Best Foods/Hellmann’s to promote their delicious mayonnaise and it also provided as an economic substitution for butter and milk and most notably, for sour cream, sour milk and buttermilk as well, which were very popular at the time.

  • It’s an old cat-in-the-hat baking trick that’s been around longer than cake mixes.
  • Speaking of cake mixes, did you know you can substitute mayonnaise for the the oil and eggs in a cake mix?  You can!  You can get more info on that over at Duncan Hines.  They would know! 🙂 The fact of the matter is, this mayonnaise cake is fudgey, rich, moist, and a true classic chocolate dessert that tastes out of this world AMAZING!
  • Mayonnaise is essentially oil, vinegar, and egg, and while you could just add an extra egg to try and get the same effect.   The Kitchn points out that the oil makes the cake tender, the egg helps the batter retain moisture, and the acid in the vinegar really brings out the chocolate flavor.
  • If you don’t like mayonnaise, you can rest assured, you will not taste the mayonnaise at all.  It’s just there to bring in that super-moist ‘super power’ factor that we all love and adore.   

And let’s not forget the chocolate buttercream…OH EM GEE!  Perfect pairing with this recipe for moist Chocolate cake!

You might enjoy this Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Cake From Scratch, if you’re looking for a gluten free option!  It is the ultimate chocolate lovers cake.

recipe for moist Chocolate cake

Ingredients You Need

Moist Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • butter, softened
  • powdered sugar
  • unsweetened cocoa powder
  • vanilla extract
  • milk or heavy cream

recipe for moist Chocolate cake

How to Make the Best Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe!

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Grease and flour three 8″ diameter cake pans with 1 ½-inch-high sides, or two 9″ pans.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, then whisk in boiling water until chocolate is melted and smooth.
  4. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into another medium bowl. Set aside.
  5. Using mixer, beat both sugars and mayonnaise in large bowl until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
  6. Add flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture, beating until blended after each addition.
  7. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
  8. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes.
  9. Run small knife around sides of cakes to loosen.
  10. Carefully invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.
  11. Frost when completely cooled.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  1. Using mixer, cream butter, add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.
  2. Place cake on a platter.
  3. Frost top of first layer.
  4. Place second layer on cake.
  5. Frost sides and top.
  6. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
  7. Serves 10-12.

recipe for moist Chocolate cake

Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frostingmoist chocolate cake recipe

I doooo love this cake and frosting so much!  It’s been such a classic cake over-time and it’s easy to see why it’s one of our favorite chocolate cake recipes!  

And it always will be!  *swoon*  Perfect for Birthdays, Parties, Potlucks and Chocoholic Cake Cravings!  You may love this Super Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe with Chocolate Frosting as another option! 

More Cake Love Just For YOU!!

Super-Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Super-Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Kim Lange
This 'Depression-era' Chocolate Cake has a secret ingredient that was used as an economic substitution for butter and eggs and it gives this cake it's super-moist super powers and it's still one of the most preferred chocolate cake recipes out there today!
4.28 from 25 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 12 Servings
Calories

Ingredients
  

Super-Moist Chocolate Cake

  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate do not exceed 61% cacao, chopped
  • 1 cup unsweetened Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder or regular unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ¾ cups boiling water
  • 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 ⅓ cups Hellman's mayonnaise do not use reduced-fat,fat-free or Miracle Whip, Hellman’s
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 ¼ cups butter softened
  • 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ¾ to 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for dark frosting, use part Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, about 4 tablespoons
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Grease and flour three 8" diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides, or two 9" pans.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, then whisk in boiling water until chocolate is melted and smooth.
  • Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into another medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Using mixer, beat both sugars and mayonnaise in large bowl until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
  • Add flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture, beating until blended after each addition.
  • Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
  • Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes.
  • Run small knife around sides of cakes to loosen.
  • Carefully invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.
  • Frost when completely cooled.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Using mixer, cream butter, add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.
  • Place cake on a platter.
  • Frost top of first layer.
  • Place second layer on cake.
  • Frost sides and top.
  • Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
  • Serves 10-12.
Keyword cake, chocolate, mayonnaise, party dessert
Tried This Recipe?Let us know how it was by commenting below!

I got this recipe from A Bountiful Kitchen and it’s wonderful!

50 Comments

  1. Hi there! I would like to make this for a wedding that I am planning. Do you think I could substitute the boiling water for coffee?

  2. Rissa, I would have loved to taste her baked goods! YUM! Sounds like an amazing woman and baker. I love the old retro desserts and their secrets!! Thank you so much for your kind words! xo

  3. Really love your recipes. My mom always made what she simply called a mayonnaise cake and she was the best baker in the world. She would make 15 pies at a time for our church bake sales. That’s how it was back in the day. Everything homemade. So I was glad to see your recipe for mayonnaise cake. Nice to see some of the old ingredients making a come back.

  4. Mimo, not sure what percentage you are using, but if you do, I would taste the batter after it’s done and see how it tastes before baking. It should be more like milk chocolate instead. Good luck!

  5. Hi I want to try the cake just wanted to ask what happens if I use chocolate with more than 61%cacao thanks

  6. Virginia it should below the last picture of cake @ https://www.thebakingchocolatess.com/super-moist-chocolate-cake-with-chocolate-buttercream-frosting/. You should be able to print it, but here it is as well.

    This ‘Depression-era’ Chocolate Cake has a secret ingredient that was used as an economic substitution for butter and eggs and it gives this cake it’s super-moist super powers and it’s still one of the most preferred chocolate cake recipes out there today!

    Ingredients
    Super-Moist Chocolate Cake
    2 ounces bittersweet chocolate do not exceed 61% cacao, chopped
    1 cup unsweetened Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder or regular unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 3/4 cups boiling water
    2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
    1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    1 cup sugar
    1 cup dark brown sugar packed
    1 1/3 cups mayonnaise do not use reduced-fat,fat-free or Miracle Whip, Hellman’s
    2 large eggs room temperature
    2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
    1 1/4 cups butter softened
    4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    3/4 to 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for dark frosting, use part Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, about 4 tablespoons
    2 teaspoons vanilla
    1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
    Instructions
    Preheat oven to 350°F
    Butter and flour three 8″ diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides, or two 9″ pans.
    In a medium bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, then whisk in boiling water until chocolate is melted and smooth.
    Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into another medium bowl. Set aside.
    Using mixer, beat both sugars and mayonnaise in large bowl until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
    Add flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture, beating until blended after each addition.
    Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
    Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes.
    Run small knife around sides of cakes to loosen.
    Carefully invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.
    Frost when completely cooled.
    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
    Using mixer, cream butter, add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.
    Place cake on a platter.
    Frost top of first layer.
    Place second layer on cake.
    Frost sides and top.
    Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
    Serves 10-12.

  7. Hi Pam! Happy Birthday to you and your husband! 🙂 So, I was reading your comment and I did want to let you know that I did only use 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. If you add too much baking powder, it will taste bitter and it will affect the cake by making the cake rise up too fast, causing air pockets to rupture and collapse, delivering a denser, squatter cake. I wonder if this might be the problem?

  8. Made this cake for my husband and my birthday (we are 2 days apart)…
    When reading directions, seems there is not enough baking powder in it…1/4 tespoon only?? I added 1 teaspoon! It rose up beautifully….
    Also, I had to bake it just 5 minutes longer…

    Been making a mayo cake with a boxed cake for 40 years….the scratch ones never interested me until this one…

    Has anyone else found it to be a heavy dense cake??? Or did I do something wrong..followed directions to a tee and have been baking 50 plus years.

    Thanks

  9. Cake:
    2 ounces or 56 grams bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
    1 cup or 120 grams unsweetened Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder (or regular unsweetened cocoa powder)
    1 3/4 cups or 210 grams boiling water
    2 3/4 cups or 330 grams all purpose flour
    1 1/4 teaspoons or 6.25 mL teaspoons baking soda
    1/4 or 1.25 mL teaspoon baking powder
    1 cup or 200 grams sugar
    1 cup or 180 grams (packed) dark brown sugar
    1 1/3 cups or 320 ml mayonnaise (do not use reduced-fat,fat-free or Miracle Whip) Hellman’s
    2 large eggs, room temperature
    2 teaspoons or 10 ml vanilla extract

    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
    1 1/4 cups or 300 grams butter, softened
    4 1/2 cups or 450 grams powdered sugar
    3/4 to 1 cup or 115 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (for dark frosting, use part Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, about 4 tablespoons)
    2 teaspoons or 10 mL vanilla
    1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons or 60 mL plus 30 mL milk or heavy cream

    I gave it my best guess! Let me know how it works out! 🙂

  10. Hi Lynn! Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake the cupcakes for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. ?Makes 24 cupcakes. Enjoy!!

  11. Hi! I making a cake but also want to make cupcakes for a party. Any idea how many this recipe would make and how long to cook?
    Thanks!

  12. Hi Amanda! Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake the cupcakes for 17 to 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. 🙂 Enjoy!!

  13. I am wanting to make cupcakes. Should I adjust the temp or time on these for a cupcake pan?

  14. My mother used to make what she called chocolate mayonnaise cake when i was growing up back in the 70’s. I thought everyone used mayonnaise in their chocolate cakes? I remember mentioning it once and my husbands family thought i was crazy. Glad you are bringing it back! It makes the best cake i have ever had! Thank you for sharing and bringing back good memories for me!

  15. Yes, 1 cup. I’m so sorry that happened to you Wendy! I haven’t heard of anyone else having that issue, so it must be something weird going on for you…ugh! 🙁 But thanks for letting me know.

    This is what I see:

    Super-Moist Chocolate Cake
    2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
    1 cup unsweetened Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder (or regular unsweetened cocoa powder)
    1 3/4 cups boiling water
    2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
    1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    1 cup sugar
    1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
    1 1/3 cups mayonnaise (do not use reduced-fat,fat-free or Miracle Whip) Hellman’s
    2 large eggs, room temperature
    2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
    1 1/4 cups butter, softened
    4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    3/4 to 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (for dark frosting, use part Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa, about 4 tablespoons)
    2 teaspoons vanilla
    1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

  16. It’s not showing a second sugar for me. I found a similar recipe on line and added sugar. I would upload a photo to show but that’s not an option. I added a cup of white sugar- is that what is listed on this recipe? It must be loading weird on my end.

  17. Krista, it does seem strange, but it’s delish! Just make sure you don’t use Miracle whip, because that will make it too sweet. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!

  18. It says best both sugars with mayo and add eggs. There’s only brown sugar listed in the ingredients. Sure wish i had noticed that because I’m making this right this minute. Lovely.

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