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:
I have to admit that I turned my nose up when I read the title. Mayo in cupcakes? But after reading the post I am intrigued to try. Brownie like cupcakes sound awesome and the nutritional stats are amazing.
These look awesome! Also katie, I don’t know if you’ll read this but if you don’t mind a little constructive criticism I think you might find this to be helpful:
I’ve been a big fan of your blog for a while, it’s so good! However I do think readers would enjoy (and you’d probably get even more readers) if you posted about things other than food sometimes. I know this is a recipe blog, and of course that should be your main focus, but it would be fun to see you switch it up sometimes! like maybe “what i ate wednesday” or “a day in the life” or some of your other interests! This is jsut a sugestion….take it or leave it of course and i hope you dont take offense! i (along with a million others) love your blog!
I will try to plan some for the future :).
Dear God, I almost fainted then yacked on my computer when I saw the title of this post. In my defense though, I am one of those weirdos who absolutely *LOATHES* mayonnaise, and I’d rather stick nails in my eyes than eat it on a sandwich or in my cupcakes. I love you to the moon and back, girl, but this is a recipe I will *NOT* be trying. Mad props for getting creative and adventurous on the blog though, and you know I think every other recipe on here is fabulous! Also, after reading all the comments, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to look at a chocolate cupcake not prepared by me the same way again! 😉
lol I’m with you… mayo makes me want to gag (vegan or not)!
This is sort of a random question, but do you have any books/articles/etc on vegan diets that you would recommend? My husband is convinced a vegan diet is unhealthy, and I am trying very hard to prove him wrong. He won’t accept any type of source from the internet as fact, though.
You might try The China Study or Forks Over Knives. I’ve never read either, but I know those are books that have changed the way people view veganism. Been vegan since 2000 and have never had any problems, but that’s because I learned how to balance my food intake in order to prevent malnutrition from ignorance. Good luck convincing your husband 🙂
Actually, I highly, highly encourage anyone, especially vegans, to check out the food blog Raw Food SOS (written by Denise Minger, who eats a mostly plant-based diet) and go to the “For Vegans” section. It’s unbiased, I promise. As a former vegan, I hate animal cruelty, however these studies are shocking. It shows just how false The China Study is.
Before all us vegans start freaking out….
While I find her effort to find the truth in science laudable, it should be noted that Denise doesn’t have any formal training in statistics. Not to say that only people with PhDs can say the truth (or that they always say the truth), but if you’ve looked at Dr. Campbell’s response to Denise, you’ll see that the data she was looking at and took her shocking conclusions from was unadjusted.
Incidentally, nutrition science is really hard to be really scientific about. A study in nutrition does not say the truth like a proof in math does.
I don’t think Dr. Campbell was insidious in writing The China Study. He may have exaggerated some things to his bias (very anti animal protein), but in her critique, so did Ms. Minger exaggerate some things to her bias (I recall she was very anti-wheat). I think many people get very healthy eating a whole-foods, plant based diet. People would probably be healthy if they just ate a few bivalves a week like Denise does. But I think achieving health is more than just eating well; it’s being happy, it’s knowing your truth.
When I first saw Denise’s blog, I was crushed. I was so focused on just the health aspect that I felt as if everything I stood for– had no standing. But I realized my veganism wasn’t just about myself, about this idea of perfection. It’s truly, truly something powerful to speak out against the norm.
So in these times it’s important to get back to the roots of what veganism is: not just a way to seek the diet for perfect ideal health, which honestly, we will never ever find pure scientific proof for, but a way to speak out against an oppressive, dominant part of society, a way to live one’s truth.
And in this all, we must be beacons of light and positivity, because that’s how people will catch on to the message of veganism.
Cheers! 🙂
Oh, and as a response to your asking about books/articles, etc, will your husband accept the Harvard School of Public Health’s view? http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/
If they’re saying stuff it’s because it’s really generally accepted in the nutrition science world. They should have no bias towards veganism or any agenda (contrary to say, the USDA and its lobbiers), while not making any big claims, say something which I think is pretty encouraging of veganism being healthy:
“When it comes down to it, though—when all the evidence is looked at together—the best nutrition advice on what to eat is relatively straightforward: Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose foods with healthy fats, like olive and canola oil, nuts and fatty fish; limit red meat and foods that are high in saturated fat; and avoid foods that contain trans fats.”
You can peruse the website for more 🙂
Well now, that makes sense I guess, especially since vegan mayo is more or less solid oil. I’d try this if I ever bought mayo, but I don’t because I hate the stuff, lol. Ok, maybe I’ll buy it so I can make this. And then I’ll make potato salad or Waldorf salad or else I’ll have a jar of mayo in my fridge for the next two years.
I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, but I’ve been trying to come up with some “allergen”-free recipes for some friends, and using veganaise instead of eggs for people with egg allergies is brilliant!
Actually Portillos chocolate cake (which is amazing!) has mayo in it also. I may give this one a try!
I’m not adventurous enough to add mayonnaise to my cupcakes. But your description of how tasty they are might change my mind.
mayo cake (non vegan) was my favorite growing up! super moist…no frosting necessary!
Girl you are cazy and I love it! I bet these are some moist delicious cupcakes!