Christelle's Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Ganache




The idea started when one of my foodie friends on Twitter @HomeMadeHeaven rediscovered a recipe she "lost" years ago.  It was the one for the Easy, no-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter & Oats Cookieson my blog.  It made me think of a song about a cake that was left out in the rain (McArthur Park, by Richard Harris) and him singing, "I don't think that I can take it, 'cause it took so long to bake it, and I'll never find that recipe again!"


It made me think of a cake that my mom used to bake, that I really used to like...and the recipe of which she seems to have lost.  It was for a Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake!  Yes, I know...the mere thought of mayonnaise in a chocolate cake is enough to send most people running for the hills.  But trust me when I say, these cakes are rich, decadent and beautifully moist!  So, on my Facebook Page I asked if anyone had a recipe and Christelle Pretorius Botha came to the rescue with a luscious looking recipe!



This cake is really easy to bake.  You don't even need an electric mixer!  Do give it a try.  It has caused lots of excitement on Facebook.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake with Ganache Topping


Ingredients:

  • 335 g (630 ml) cake flour
  • 40 g (110 ml) cocoa powder
  • 320 g (380 ml) castor sugar
  • 5 ml salt
  • 8 ml bicarbonate of soda
  • 300 ml mayonnaise
  • 400 ml water
  • 5 ml vanilla essence
For ganache topping
  • 250 ml cream
  • 400 g dark chocolate, chopped
  • chocolate shavings for garnish, or whatever else makes you happy such as mini Easter Eggs, chocolate covered coffee beans, etc.
Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 180 ºC and line a 23 cm round baking tin with wax paper. (I didn't line my tin!  Honestly, life's too short.  Just give it a good spray with some non-stick spray such as Spray 'n Cook.)
  2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, castor sugar, salt and bicarbonate of soda.  Give it a good mix to combine.
  3. In a seperate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, water and vanilla essence.  Add the liquid to the sifted ingredients and stir to combine.  Pour into the prepared baking tin.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.  Leave to cool in the tin (overnight is best).
  5. To prepare the ganache, bring the cream to the boil and pour it over the chopped chocolate - away from the stove.  Stir untill smooth and leave to cool.  Pour over the cake.  It's best to do this by putting it on a wire rack so that the exess can drip off.  Sprinkle over the chocolate shavings and enjoy!  I found that the cake tasted even better the second day.
Quite a few people asked for the recipe, so I thought, why don't we have a bit of fun?  I posted the recipe on my Facebook Page and wrote,  "We all bake this cake at home (put your own twist on it if you want to).  Remember to take photos of your cake and e-mail them to me.  Then I'll do a blog entry with all of your photos and tweaks, as well as mine and the recipe.  Sounds like something you'd like to do?  Get to it then!"  Below are some of the photos I have received in my inbox so far.  If you didn't send me your photo yet, don't despair!  As soon as you send it to me (via e-mail or Facebook) I will update this post with your photos.

Gerlene Kennedy's beautiful cake with mini Easter Eggs!

Christelle Botha's chocolate cake: rich and moist!
Chantelle Beyers' s cake with a chocolate mousse topping and choco Easter egg nests!
  It was really a whole lot of fun to do this recipe with people from as far as Ireland, Canada and South Africa.  Any ideas for our next Cyber Cooking Club event?  Please leave your ideas in the comments below (I just LOVE getting those!) or on my Facebook wall! 

Comments

  1. Hi W! You're right in that the thought of mayo (something I never really eat anyway)is frightening. BUT, look at that beautiful, moist cake! I bet you can't taste or smell the mayo, right? How amazing. Guess it's like Coke and chicken- people wax lyrical about it and I haven't yet tried it. Gorgeous pics too- well done!

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  2. Ishay, I get the same expression from everyone, "What? Are you crazy?!" Until they taste it, that is.

    Thanks for the comment on the pics, too! Much appreciated.

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  3. Ek stem met Ishay - jou fotos is fantasties en maak my nou regtig baie baie lus vir koek!

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  4. Haai dankie Marisa! Jy maak my dag...nee, sommer my WEEK!

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  5. Was such an easy AWESOME cake! Can't wait for the next challenge!!! *wonders what it will be*

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  6. Hey Chantelle! It is indeed very easy with awesome results. Keep a look out on my facebook page - the next challenge is coming soon!

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  7. Ooooo, ek het op hierdie blog nou af gestumble....en net vanaand....maak ek hierdie koek. Sommer na werk...bak ek hom!!!

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  8. Hi Benita! Ek is so bly om te hoor jy't nou hier ingeval. Jy is meer as welkom. Jong, hierdie koek is LEKKER! En dis so maklik om te maak.

    Lost tog asb 'n boodskap as jy hom genak het en laat my weet wat jy dink!

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  9. Mmmm...lyk my ek kan nie meer tik nie...

    *Los tog asb 'n boodskap as jy hom gebak het en laat my weet wat jy dink!

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  10. oooo...Kitchenboy!!! Dit is die heerlikste koek ever!!! ek het laaaaat gisteraand n stukkie geeet saam met n moerkoffie (natuurlik sonder suiker!). Vanoggend kon ek nie myself help nie, en moes my vinger deur die ganache sleep...en hom af lek soos n stout kind. However...jy sal maar verantwoordelikheid moet neem vir die vet agterstewe na hierdie een!!! Ek stuur binnekort die foto!

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  11. Great! Ek is SO bly dat jy daarvan gehou het. Baie mense is maar 'n bietjie bang vir hom, maar as hul hom eers geeet het, is daar geen keer nie.

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  12. Can you covert this into cups please?

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  13. More....maak ek weer hierdie koek!!!!

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