You'll just have to trust me on this one

Yesterday, I was cleaning out the refrigerator and realized our mayonnaise was on the verge, so I decided to make this chocolate cake. That's right... cake made with mayonnaise. And it truly makes sense if you know what's in real mayonnaise and you remember making a volcano with baking soda and vinegar. This cake is super easy and very moist. And you can change it up a little by adding some chocolate chips or fruit (I like cherries). The recipe comes from a great cookbook I received from Jamie and Kaci a couple of Christmases ago called The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

Emergency Chocolate Cake

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 t. baking soda

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. water

1 t. vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 8 inch square pan.

2. Combine wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another. Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the dry ingredients until combined.

3. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 to 2 hours. Or just eat it if you want to. I don't really care. Just don't burn yourself in your haste to get to the chocolatey goodness.

I dusted ours with confectioner's sugar and cinnamon, but it isn't necessary. Make sure you use real mayonnaise for this recipe and not some weirdo "sandwich spread." I recommend Cain's all natural with omega-3. Use that stuff and substitute in 1 cup of whole wheat flour for 1 cup of white, throw in some dark berries and you can tell yourself it's good for you to eat half a cake by yourself. Because, really, it will have fiber, and good fats, and anti-oxidants.