Food Styling: Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling: Lis Engelhart

Best-Ever Chocolate Cake
The Good Housekeeping Secret Ingredient? Hellmann’s Mayonnaise.
Our friends at Hellmann’s asked the GH Test Kitchen to bake up a decadent chocolate cake using its Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise — a fantastic sub for eggs and oil. It’s a piece of cake!
Ingredients
FOR CAKE
Nonstick cooking spray
- 3 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup
packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup
unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
- 1 Tbsp.
baking soda
- 3/4 Tbsp.
kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups
warm water
- 1 1/4 cups
Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise (see tip)
- 2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp.
espresso powder
FOR FROSTING
- 2
sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
- 3 cups
confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp.
milk
- 1/4 cup
mini chocolate chips
Directions
- Step 1Make cake: Heat oven to 350˚F. Coat 9-by-13-in. pan with nonstick spray; line with parchment, leaving overhang on 2 long sides; spray parchment.
- Step 2In large bowl, whisk flour, both sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until no clumps remain. In second bowl, whisk warm water, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, vanilla and espresso powder until smooth. Make well in dry ingredients and gradually add liquid mixture, whisking constantly until batter is smooth.
- Step 3Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top and bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 38 to 42 min. Let cool 20 min.; then, using parchment overhangs, transfer cake to wire rack to cool completely.
- Step 4Meanwhile, make frosting: Using mixer on medium, beat butter until smooth, 2 min. Reduce speed to low; add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt and mix to combine, 2 min. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and creamy, 2 min., then beat in milk. Spread frosting over cooled cake and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Vegan? Easy! Swap in the same amount of Hellmann’s Vegan Dressing & Spread, then serve solo or top with a store-bought frosting (check ingredients — many are vegan-friendly).

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