We had a jar of vegan mayonnaise in our refrigerator, and since we hate to see anything go to waste, we wracked our brains to determine what to do with it. Suddenly, we remembered a dessert from our childhood — chocolate mayonnaise cake! Yes, this dessert can easily be made with vegan mayonnaise! The mayo gives it a dense, creamy texture. Just heavenly, especially with the addition of vegan cream cheese-based frosting. And so easy to make! Go ahead and try it — you know you want to.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

8 ounces (approximately 1 cup) softened vegan cream cheese
1/3 cup softened vegan butter or margarine, such as Earth Balance
3 cups organic powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla extract, then the water and finally the vegan mayonnaise. Beat everything together until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Grease a square baking pan with coconut oil or vegan butter or margarine. Pour the batter into the pan and pop it into a 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. When you stick a fork in the top of the cake, it should come out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool. We’re not kidding — let it cool THOROUGHLY. This cake is dense and rich and will fall apart if it is still warm. Don’t ask us how we know.

Meanwhile, prepare your frosting. Place the ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If your frosting is too dense, add a couple of sprinkles of water. But don’t make it too runny! You want it to be thick.

Remove your cake from its pan and place it on a large plate. Swirl the frosting everywhere — on the top, along the sides, etc. You can even put some of it in your mouth, but change utensils afterwards! There will be plenty of frosting to go around.

This cake may fall apart a bit, due to its moistness. We experienced this issue (see photo for proof), but didn’t really care because the cake tasted so good. You will most likely feel the same. Its flavor is rich and addictive. Six people could probably make quick work of this dessert. You can store some of it for later, however, and it will keep for at least two days. By then, every crumb should be gone.