My aunt swore by adding mayo to cake batter for moisture

She told me to substitute a third cup of mayo for oil in a boxed chocolate cake last weekend. It came out so greasy and dense my 6th graders asked if it was leftover meatloaf. Has anyone else tried this weird trick and actually had it work?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_clark24d ago

Oh wow, I have to jump in here because I actually love this trick! I've been using mayo in cakes for years and it always works great for me. The key is not to swap it 1:1 for oil though - I use about half the mayo and then add a little extra milk to balance the moisture. Last month I made a yellow cake with mayo and it was so tender my husband thought I bought it from a bakery. Sounds like your aunt might have given you the wrong ratio, or maybe the brand of mayo matters too?

karenm4924d ago

Oh man, the mayo trick has saved my baking more times than I can count... though my first attempt was a total disaster. I swapped it cup for cup and ended up with what I can only describe as a greasy sponge cake that tasted like I'd accidentally dumped a jar of Miracle Whip in there. My kitchen sink almost got a new decoration that day... Now I do what you said and use half the mayo plus a splash of buttermilk, and it works like magic. Last week I made a chocolate mayo cake for a potluck and someone actually asked if I'd used a fancy bakery mix... I just smiled and nodded.