Name: Midnight Cake
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: Serves 16
Ingredients: 2 cups (10 ounces/283 grams) all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup (¾ ounce/21 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 cup mayonnaise; 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup water

Why This Recipe Works

Our Midnight Cake recipe has a simple preparation and rich chocolate flavor. It calls for mayonnaise in place of eggs and butter (or oil) and cocoa instead of chocolate. We avoided Dutch-processed cocoa powder here. Our Midnight Cake recipe doesn’t require a mixer—a whisk is all that’s needed to combine the dry ingredients and mayonnaise. We whisked the dry ingredients into the mayonnaise in three installments. This ensured the ingredients fully incorporated and minimized the possibility of clumps.

Before You Begin

This recipe uses mayonnaise in place of eggs and butter (or oil) and cocoa instead of chocolate; it doesn't require a mixer. For all these reasons, it's very easy to make. Avoid Dutch-processed cocoa powder here. Dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Whisk mayonnaise, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into mayonnaise mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of water, until incorporated.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for 2 days.)