Chocolate Velvet Cake with Mayonnaise (Doctored Cake Mix)

If you’re looking for a simple chocolate cake with the texture of velvet, this is the recipe for you. This easy doctored cake mix uses a fun and interesting addition - mayonnaise. 

Mayonnaise in Cake? Is that a Thing?

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I love to bake with mayonnaise. I have a delicious “from scratch” chocolate cake that I labeled my “best chocolate mayonnaise cake.” I’ve also made Banana Berry Bread with mayonnaise and Light and Fluffy Biscuits with Mayonnaise.

So, what’s the deal with mayonnaise and baking? 

In short, mayo takes the place of eggs and oil. If a recipe calls for half a cup of oil (or butter) and three eggs, just replace all of that with a full cup of mayonnaise. 

I did that with my original chocolate mayonnaise cake but never once (until today) did it occur to me that I could do that with a boxed cake mix. (I truly can’t believe I’m only just now thinking of this.) 

So, I gave it a whirl! I happened to have a devil’s food cake mix in the pantry. And just enough mayo and milk to pull this off. I also had two other key ingredients that I love to use in chocolate cake: espresso powder and vanilla. 

And that’s when it hit me: velvet. I was making a velvet cake. 

What is a Velvet Cake? 

What sets most “velvet” cakes apart from others is the addition of one very small ingredient: vinegar. 

I know. Sounds sour. But it’s not. Vinegar is a key ingredient in buttermilk and it’s what gives Red Velvet cake that luscious “twang” that sets it apart from a traditional coconut cake. 

I’ve used vinegar in other cakes to make them “velvet.” My pink velvet cake, for instance. In that one, I added vinegar to the milk. 

This time, however?

I didn’t need to go to that trouble. Why, you ask? Because mayonnaise has vinegar in it. In fact, the mayo I used had both lemon juice and vinegar, which made it absolutely perfect. In short, I could use one ingredient (mayo) to replace eggs, oil, and vinegar. Talk about the perfect cake ingredient! 

I could go on all day about the ease of this recipe, but I won’t. I’ll simply say that it came together so easily, so seamlessly, that I plan to make it again and again. . .and again. (Ha. I love chocolate cake!) 

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s bake a Chocolate Velvet Cake!

Chocolate Velvet Cake Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand in your kitchen. 

• 1 chocolate cake mix (15.25 oz)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup full-fat mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

That’s it! Just a few simple ingredients. 

How to Make Chocolate Velvet Cake

This comes together so easily, y’all! You won’t believe how easy it is. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prepare pans with shortening and a dusting of flour. (You can use a 9x13-inch pan or three 6-inch pans. Two 8-inch will also do the trick.) 

In a large bowl place all of the ingredients except the cake mix (the mayonnaise, milk, vanilla, and espresso powder). Whisk together until all lumps disappear.

Add the cake mix and continue to whisk. 

Place batter in bake pan(s). 

Place in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake pulls away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean. 

Remove pans from oven and place on wire rack to cool. 

Remove from pans and frost (or sprinkle with powdered sugar). I happened to have buttercream on hand, left over from a recent baking project. 

Serve and enjoy! 

What to Expect from this Cake Recipe

If you love a rich, dark chocolate cake, one loaded with both flavor and texture, you’re going to flip over this one. As I’ve mentioned several times above, this one is simpler than most. In fact, I think it’s probably the easiest doctored cake mix I’ve ever made. And I'll be honest: this is the lightest, fluffiest cake I've ever made. . .and that's really saying something. It's like a feather!

Also, the taste is out of this world. The mayo adds just the right around of flavor, along with the espresso powder. And the texture really is different from a “typical” boxed cake mix, which is lovely. All in all, I would say this one is a success. A simple success! 

Variations on this Recipe

There are so many ways you can change this up: 

Red Velvet: It goes without saying that a Red Velvet boxed mix would be perfect in place of chocolate for this recipe. 

White Velvet: Use a simple white cake mix instead of chocolate and skip the espresso powder. You’ll end up with a lovely white velvet cake, which can be colored any shade you like! 

Strawberry Velvet: Strawberry velvet, anyone? Use a strawberry cake mix, mayo, milk, and vanilla. Yum! 

Lemon Velvet: I am planning to make this soon! Lemon cake mix, milk, mayo, and the zest and juice of one lemon? Perfection! 

Really, the possibilities are endless! Make any cake “velvet” with this simple method. 

Other Velvet Offerings from Out of the Box Baking: 

• Red Velvet Truffles
• Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
• Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
• Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars

That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.