Chocolate and mayonnaise? Say what?

Last night I was browsing at Barnes & Noble, as I do quite often, and found myself in the cookbook aisle. Now, don't hate me, but it's no secret that of the three of us, Allison is the baker. I'm a blogger. While I have made cupcakes before, I rarely do so, mostly because I'm afraid of messing up and it seems like a big effort for little reward, although I do plan to practice my baking skills when the weather gets cooler. Hence, my browsing.



One of the books I picked up was Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth by Jill O'Connor and Leigh Beisch, from Chronicle Books. I didn't find many cupcake offerings, but one was for chocolate-mayonnaise cupcakes. I looked at that and, frankly, thought, Gross! For one thing, I despise mayo. For another, does mayo really belong in a cupcake, my beloved sweet dessert?

Well, maybe I was wrong to be so quick to judge, because apparently, they are a well-loved treat.

So I present the recipe for you, gleaned from the blog Rachel's Bite and ask for your feedback. Have you had, or even heard of, cupcake recipes involving mayonnaise? Should I suck it up and try to make these?

Here's what Rachel of Rachel's Bite had to say about this recipe:

These are real cupcakes made from scratch. Consequently, they are not quick to make. The "mayonnaise" in these cupcakes might put some people off because it might seem unappealing. But it makes the cupcakes creamier in a way so don't be afraid to try it. It took even longer to make the frosting than the actual cupcakes themselves! But they are incredibly tasty. The frosting is both light and rich at the same time which is interesting. I made the frosting recipe as written but I only used about 1/3rd of it so I suggest halving it - why waste all the butter!



Chocolate-Mayonnaise Cupcakes with Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting
Makes 24 standard cupcakes

2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mayonnaise (not low-fat)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups boiling water

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and beat with an electric mixer set at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the mayonnaise and vanilla just until combined. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in half of the flour mixture just until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half of the boiling water and beat at very low speed just until the batter is smooth, 5 to 10 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just until combined, 5 to 10 seconds longer. Beat in the remaining water. The batter will be somewhat thin.

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting and serve.

Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting

6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 pounds (6 sticks) cold unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. bourbon

Combine the eggs and brown sugar in a the metal bowl of a standing mixer. (Alternatively, use a metal mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer, but be prepared for a workout.)

Fill a large saute pan or frying pan with water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place the mixing bowl in the simmering water and whisk the eggs and sugar constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is thick and fluffy and very hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature; it should be anywhere between 120 and 140 degrees.

Remove the bowl from the simmering water and, using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium-high speed until they are tripled in volume and form soft peaks and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt.

While the eggs are mixing, unwrap the individual sticks of butter and rewrap them loosely in plastic wrap. pound the butter 5 or 6 times with a rolling pin, or until the butter is soft and malleable but still cool.

With the mixer speed still on medium-high, add the butter, approximately 2 tablespoons at a time, to the egg mixture, beating in each addition until it is incorporated. When all the butter has been incorporated, slowly dribble in the bourbon. Don't start to panic if the buttercream seems to liquidly or looks curdled as you beat in the butter. It will magically emulsify into a smooth, creamy frosting by the time the last little bit of butter is mixed in. Have faith; it's worth it. Frosting is ready with the buttercream is smooth and glossy.

Comments

Sarah Stout said…
I actually have a friend who uses mayonnaise in her cupcakes often. It serves as an oil and helps make them moist. Frankly, I also thought it sounded disgusting because I loathe mayonnaise. It actually is quite amazing how good they taste! You don't even taste one bit of mayo.
Anonymous said…
Personally, I would never touch a cupcake that contained any trace of mayo, simply because I despise the condiment and I don't believe it should belong on sandwiches, let alone in cupcakes.
Anonymous said…
I really can't stand mayo, but as an ingredient in a chocolate cake? Oh heck yeah. You can't even tell there is mayo in the cake. It makes it very moist and I think really adds to the flavor of the cake overall (not a mayonnaise flavor though!). Same goes for sour cream.
Anonymous said…
mayo is just fat and eggs which is also the main component in cakes. i've added mayo to boxed and scratch mixes and it tastes delicious. its nothing out of this world and it doesnt matter if youre a mayo lover or not because you cant taste it. unless someone told you, or you're some pro taste tester, then i think its nearly impossible to tell that theres mayo in a chocolate cake. and i say chocolate because thats the one ive heard of using it in and the only one ive tried it in...
Carrie said…
I know it sounds gross, but the mayo really works to make a moist flavorful cupcake! The mayo give it extra egg and the oil that it needs. You don't taste the mayo at all. Seriously don't be turned off by it...you would never know if it weren't in the title!
Anonymous said…
Mayo is reasonable...I actually have a gluten-free yellow cake recipe that I use often that contains mayo. If you think about what mayo is actually made of, it is a perfectly reasonable thing to put in a cake - just not as filling.
Joy said…
I actually made a wheat free chocolate birthday that called for mayo for my daughter's birthday cake and all the kids loved it. I thought it would be gross but the cake came out nice and moist.
Clockwatcher said…
Not only mayo, which is a traditional chocolate cake ingredient in parts of the south, but also canned beets. My grandmother made a delicious, moist chocolate cake with pureed canned beets. And like the mayo, you don't actually taste the flavor, just the moistness. I need to go bake something!
Anonymous said…
I've made mayo chocolate cupcakes. To me, they taste kind of wheat-y. Yes, they are moist and fluffy, but it tastes weird. Not my cup of tea.
panda✰eraser said…
my aunt religiously adds mayo to her chocolate cake and (while i despise mayo) it's the only way i'll eat chocolate cake.
Anonymous said…
It's just eggs and oil! Now, what would be gross is mayonnaise substituting for frosting.