Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

This is a relatively easy and VERY delicious chocolate cake.  The only thing that I think might be difficult is that it calls for cake flour.  I've never tried it with regular all-purpose flour, but it might be okay.  The original recipe I got off of foodtv.com didn't call for any frosting, but I like to use the Ghirardelli Empress Frosting on this cake.  It's more of a ganache than a frosting, and it's easy to make if you have Ghirardelli ground chocolate on hand.   

Be careful not to overbake this cake.  It ruins it.  And be sure to serve it with whipped cream.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
   adapted from foodtv.com

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup real mayonnaise

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

powdered sugar, for garnish

sweetened whipped cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and mayonnaise until blended.  Add the vanilla and blend.  Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, and add it to the mayonnaise mixture in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk.

Pour into a greased and floured 9x9-inch baking pan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack, dust with confectioners sugar (or frost with your favorite chocolate icing*).  Serve with whipped cream.

*Here's the recipe for MY favorite chocolate icing.  If you use it for the mayonnaise cake, half the recipe and don't go through the icing process.  Just pour the chocolate liquid over the mayonnaise cake and let it soak into any cracks in the top of the cake.  

Empress Frosting

1/3 cup half and half                                    1 ½ Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate

½ cup butter, cut up                                     1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. Sugar

In 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat half and half with butter and sugar, stirring until blended.  Add ground chocolate, mixing with wire whip until smooth.  Heat on medium-low until mixture is thick and shiny and runs off the spoon like syrup and the first bubble appearts on the surface (160°F).  Do not boil or overcook frosting.  Cool 5 minutes, add vanilla.  Place pan of frosting in a bowl of ice and water (or snow in the winter).  Beat slowly with spoon until frosting holds shape.  Frost cake.  Refrigerate to set frosting.  Makes frosting for and 8-inch layer cake.