Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Mom always made her cakes with Mayonnaise.  And it had to be Hellman’s because she said they make the best mayo.  I learned later when I started using mayo in my cake recipes that it really does make a difference.  Mayo is made up of eggs and oil and what it does to a cake is incredible.  Rich, moist and so much more flavorful…..just so decadent!   Here is my Mom’s Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake…. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

CAKE:

• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups Hellman’s or Duke’s mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups cold water

FROSTING:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.

Sift the cocoa, flour and baking soda into a medium bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the mayonnaise, vanilla and water and mix until smooth. Add in the dry ingredients a little at a time, just until all is combined.
Don’t over-mix.

Divide the batter between the two cake pans; bake for 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FROST THE CAKE:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the cocoa. Use an electric mixer to alternately add the powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Mix in the vanilla. Frost as you would traditionally frost a 2-layer cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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♥ Southern Chocolate Cake

So I have been looking at this recipe of my Mom's Southern Chocolate Cake for a long time and wondering if I had the nerve to tackle such a beauty. Her instructions on the card were pretty straight forward so I decided, why not. I can remem...ber her adding a big spoon or two of mayonnaise to it and some buttermilk and how incredibly moist this cake was. Today I decided to go for it. Here is the result...just as good as my Mom used to make! Only one question...Who's got Milk?

 

Southern Chocolate Cake

For the Cake

6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pans
8 oz. (1-3/4 cups) all-purpose flour; more for the pans
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk, preferably low fat, at room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Frosting

1 lb. semisweet chocolate (preferably 58% cacao), finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 oz. (2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened

Make the Frosting first. Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the hot cream directly over the chocolate and let it sit without stirring for 5 minutes. Using a whisk, stir in the center of the mixture in a small, tight circular motion until fully combined. Add the butter and stir until it is fully incorporated. Put a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the chocolate mixture and set aside at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Make the Cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8 x 2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment paper round. Butter the parchment paper and dust with flour. Tap out any excess.

With a mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until lighter in color and slightly increased in volume, 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder onto a piece of parchment paper. Add the salt to the dry ingredients after sifting. Using the parchment as a chute, add one-quarter of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add about 1/2 cup of the buttermilk and mix on low speed until incorporated. Continue to alternate dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing until incorporated after each addition and stopping to scrape the bowl and beater as necessary. Using a whisk, fold the mayonnaise into the batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean and the sides of the cake have begun to pull away from the pan slightly, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack and remove the pans and parchment. Cool the cakes completely.

With a serrated knife, cut each cake in half horizontally. Put one of the base layers on a cake plate and tuck strips of waxed paper under the cake to keep the plate clean while icing the cake.
Top the cake with about 1/3 cup of the chocolate frosting, spreading it evenly over the top. Add another cake layer, top with frosting, and repeat until the last layer is in place.

Spread a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake and refrigerate for 15 minutes to seal in any crumbs. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Remove the waxed paper. I patted some shaved chocolate curls all around the sides of the cake for garnish.

Recipe and photo ©Welcome Home

Fathers Day Crab Cakes

 Fathers Day Crab Cakes

So, I made my crab cakes in honor of my Dad for Fathers Day. He so loved them.  Not just any crab cakes…my own Maryland crab cakes that I have been making for years.  You say crab cakes are crab cakes…so what makes yours so special?  Mine are the real deal…authentic Maryland Crab Cakes.

You see we have our own take on Crab cakes here in this state. They have become world famous. Tourists that come to Maryland can’t leave town without eating them. You can find crab cakes just about anywhere….but there is truly nothing like a Maryland crab cake. You see, it’s not only the ingredients you use, it’s also the way you make them.  

Contrary to popular belief, Maryland is not the only state to serve a crab cake. Different variations of crab cakes can be found across the nation, but there is something different about a Maryland crab cake. We Marylander's can see and taste the difference in a Maryland crab cake and any other out there.  We can spot an “impostor” instantly. So what makes the difference when it comes to the Maryland crab cake?

I was born and raised in Maryland and crab cakes were a staple in my home. I grew up on those delicate treasures with the huge lumps of sweet crab seasoned with Old Bay seasoning.  I learned from my Mom….no one made crab cakes like she did. Her crab cakes were the real deal—no onions, peppers, or any other vegetable or fillers. You put nothing in your mix that could over power the crab. Just pure, sweet Maryland blue crab and lots of it. She just added in a little egg and a small amount of breadcrumbs to hold them together. And then the secrets….. 

OLD BAY

Every Marylander has a tin of Old Bay in the pantry. We love this stuff and we use it a lot in our cooking.  Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can leave the Old Bay out of a Maryland crab cake. It would be like making a cake without sugar. 

A GENTLE TOUCH

You just bought a very expensive pound of Maryland blue crab. The trick is treating it like the pure gold it is. It is the last thing you add to the mix and you use your hands to tenderly combine it without breaking up those glorious huge lumps of goodness. It is the main attraction…be gentle and understand that no matter how many recipes you see out there for a bunch of extra ingredients, don’t go there. You must go light on the filler and the binder and make the sweet succulent crab the star of the recipe.

You're Not Making Hockey Pucks

I cringe every time I see a crab cakes shaped and packed into a round patty and and covered in heavy bread crumbs. These aren’t crab cakes. They are fried fish cakes. Crab cakes should be loosely formed balls of jumbo lump crab meat. Just remember the more compressed and filled with things that over power the crab, will give you a terrible tasting crab cake.

The ingredients

I laugh at most crab cake recipes out there when I see them outside of Maryland, DC or Virginia.  I gasp when I read chopped onion, hot sauce, red peppers, smoked paprika, jalapenos!  You have to keep it simple!  Your thought process while making crab cakes should always be about making sure you in no way hide the taste of sweet beautiful crab meat.  No onions!  No peppers!  No heavy seasonings. Nothing to hide the taste of that crab!

What kind of crab meat?  I use only Jumbo Lump blue crab meat. You want to buy the lumps so don’t consider anything like “special crab meat or claw meat.  It has to say LUMP on the label. Keep in mind that you are about to splurge here because you probably won’t pay less than $25-30 a pound. This is hand-picked and there are only two back fin lumps per crab. So be prepared to pay for the best.

My Maryland Crab Cakes

1 lb. Jumbo Lump crab meat
1 large egg, beaten 

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s)
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs, from 2 slices white bread, crust removed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain crab meat and put in a bowl and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, mayo, mustard, Old Bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gently stir in crab meat and breadcrumbs and mix with hands lightly without breaking up the lumps. Mixture will be somewhat wet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about 20 minutes or refrigerate for at least an hour or more.

Once chilled, shape the mixture into rounded mounds whatever size you'd like. Do not flatten or make into patties. Place on lightly sprayed baking sheet with sides. Spray the tops very lightly with non-stick spray for browning.   Just look at those big lumps of sweet succulent crab! 

Just before putting crab cakes in the oven, drop three or four ice cubes onto the baking pan in between crab cakes. This will keep the high temperature from burning the bottoms.  

Bake in hot 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes depending on the size you made your crab cakes. 

Can't you just taste them!  Oh My Goodness.  There is nothing like a Maryland Crab Cake!   This recipe makes 4-5 big jumbo lump crab cakes.

Photos are the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home 

Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich

 Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich

This crab cake sandwich is the real deal—no fillers, no veggies, no fussy stuff, no flavor disguises. Just pure, sweet crab meat, and lots of it.  I'm from Maryland and we Marylander's know our crab cakes! If you've ever traveled to the areas in and around the Chesapeake Bay, like Annapolis or Baltimore, you know that crab cakes are everywhere. You can find them from white-linen restaurants to roadside stands and you'll find that we Marylander's are fiercely loyal to our favorite places to get the best crab cakes.  My favorite place?  My own kitchen. 

Now that's not to say that I haven't had the pleasure of eating incredible crab cakes at restaurants all over Maryland. It just says I am very picky about what I like and I find that making my own works best  for me. While they all taste a bit different, there's always one simple similarity:  lots of sweet, fresh, jumbo lump crab meat with very little filler. And this recipe my friends is just that. 

Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich

1 lb Jumbo lump crab meat 

1 large egg 
1/4 cup mayonnaise 
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
1 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning 
1 teaspoon lemon juice 
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
1/4 teaspoon of  salt 
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs made from white bread 
1 tablespoon chopped parsley 

Oil and butter for frying

Drain crab meat and put in a bowl and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, mayo, mustard, Old Bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gently stir in crab meat and breadcrumbs and mix with hands lightly without breaking up the lumps. Mixture will be somewhat wet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Just look at those big lumps of sweet succulent crab! 

Once chilled, shape the mixture into rounded mounds whatever size you'd like. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil to 425-degrees. Fry the crab cakes a few at a time in the oil for two to three minutes till they're warm inside and the outside is sealed with a beautiful crunch.  Then remove from skillet and lay on a paper towel lined plate.

Serve on rolls with lettuce, tomato and Mayonnaise along with some coleslaw and french fries! 

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My Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes

For those of you who really know me out there, you know that I am from Maryland and I have a thing about crab cakes. I have a thing about seeing crab cakes on social media sites that bear the title of "Maryland Crab Cakes: when they are not even close. 

When I say I have a thing about it...I mean it drives me nuts! Typically the crab cakes you see out there are full of peppers and onions and tons of filler and the sweet succulent blue crab is totally lost.  A real Maryland Crab Cake "celebrates" the crab. We do not cover up the flavor of it! 

So today, I want to show you what a delicious, authentic, Maryland Crab Cake is and how to make them. You can thank me later.

My Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes

1 lb Jumbo Lump crab meat
1 large egg 

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon of  salt
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs made from white bread
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain crab meat and put in a bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, mayo, mustard, Old Bay, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gently stir in crab meat and breadcrumbs and mix with hands lightly without breaking up the lumps. Mixture will be somewhat wet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Once chilled, shape the mixture into rounded mounds whatever size you'd like. Do not flatten or make into patties. Place on lightly sprayed baking sheet with sides. Spray the tops very lightly with non-stick spray for browning.   Just look at those big lumps of sweet succulent crab! 

Just before putting crab cakes in the oven, drop two or three ice cubes onto the baking pan in between crab cakes. This will keep the high temperature from burning the bottoms.  Bake in hot 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes depending on the size you made your crab cakes.

In Maryland, the home of the most incredible crab cakes, we judge the perfect crab cake as one that has mostly sweet Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab and very little filler!  And NO PEPPERS or vegetables or any other nonsense that might take away the taste of that sweet wonderful crab!

Just enough filler to hold them together.  Look at that crab! 

Can't you just taste them!  Oh My Goodness.  There is nothing like a Maryland Crab Cake!   This recipe makes 4-5 big jumbo lump crab cakes.

Photos are the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home