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Kahlua Chocolate Cake is an easy cake recipe with an adult twist. Rich, moist, and flavorful chocolate cake is layered and topped with Kahlua-infused whipped cream. It’s a delightfully indulgent dessert that any chocolate lover will find irresistible.
Chocolate lovers, prepare for an exciting twist on a classic dessert: our Kahlua chocolate cake made with mayonnaise! Yes, you read that right – mayonnaise. It might sound unusual, but this secret ingredient guarantees a cake that is incredibly moist and rich.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Cake Recipe
- Moist and Tender. This chocolate Kahlua cake has a secret ingredient that makes it perfectly moist and tender – mayonnaise! Yes, you read that right. Mayonnaise keeps the cake crumb from drying out and adds a subtle tanginess that balances the sweetness.
- Rich and Chocolatey. If you’re a chocolate lover, this cake is for you! This chocolate mayonnaise cake is loaded with cocoa powder, which gives it a deep and intense chocolate flavor. And the subtle coffee notes from the Kahlua enhances that chocolate taste even more.
- Foolproof. You don’t need any special skills or fancy equipment to make this cake. All you need is a mixer, a bowl, and a couple of cake pans. The batter comes together in minutes, and it bakes up perfectly every time.
- Adult Cake. So many chocolate cake recipes are geared toward kids. While that’s totally fine, I like to occasionally make something suited for the adults in my life. The Kahlua notes are pretty subtle in the cake, but they come out beautifully in the light and fluffy whipped cream. Simple, but very sophisticated flavors.
What You’ll Need
- For the Cake. All purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, sugar, mayonnaise, eggs, vanilla extract, Kahlua, and water.
- For the Frosting. Heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder, and Kahlua.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Cake With Kahlua
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cocoa powder.
- Mix Wet Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the mayo, eggs, vanilla, Kahlua, and water together until they’re combined.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir together until it forms a cohesive batter. Divide evenly into the two cake pans.
- Bake. Bake the cakes for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cook in the pans for 15 minutes before turning them out on a cooling rack.
- Make the Frosting. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form and you have whipped cream!
- Assemble. If your cake layers have a slight dome, slice that section off so you have two flat cake layers. Spoon a small amount of frosting on your cake platter to act as glue to the bottom layer of cake. Place some of the frosting on top of the first layer and spread evenly. Set the second cake layer on top of the first and spread more frosting on the top and the sides. Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Use Real Mayonnaise. Making homemade chocolate cake is not the time to skimp on ingredients. Real mayo – not a low fat or vegan substitute – will bring the right level of creaminess and acidity to make the cake tender and moist. I recommend Hellmans’s for the best results!
- Sift the Dry Ingredients. Sifting the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt helps to aerate them and remove any lumps, making the cake lighter and more even. You can use a fine-mesh sieve or a sifter to do this.
- Don’t Overmix. Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir them gently until they’re just combined. If you beat the batter too much it’ll make the cake tough. A few small lumps are okay since they will disappear during baking.
- Room Temperature Ingredients. Room temperature ingredients are needed for most easy cake recipes. Let the mayo, eggs, and water sit out for about an hour before using them. This will help them blend better and make a smooth batter.
- Let the Cake Cool Completely. Before you frost the cake, make sure it is completely cool. If you frost a warm cake, the frosting will melt and slide off. If you’re in a hurry, you can refrigerate the cake layers to make them easier to frost.
- Variation. For a wonderful twist, consider replacing part of the cream in your frosting with cooled, strong brewed coffee, creating a mocha frosting that perfectly ties together the Kahlua and chocolate flavors. You could also experiment with adding different flavors to the cake batter with various extracts, or introducing a layer of fruit preserves between the cake layers for an extra burst of flavor.
How to Serve Chocolate Kahlua Cake
Homemade chocolate cake like this doesn’t need a whole lot to go with it. In fact, my favorite way to enjoy a big slice is pretty simple – a scoop of tiramisu ice cream and a cup of coffee or an Irish martini! Chocolate Kahlua cake makes a great birthday treat or a decadent dessert for any day of the week. Enjoy it!
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Most chocolate cake recipes encourage you to store the cake at room temperature for best results. Since our cake has a whipped cream frosting, we need to keep it in the fridge. But the good news is that it’ll do well wrapped up for up to 3 days. Any longer than that and the cake will start to get dry and less flavorful.
- Freeze: If you’d like to freeze the cake, I recommend freezing the individual layers before you add the Kahlua whipped cream frosting. Fresh whipped cream isn’t stable enough to hold up in the freezer. Wrap the layers tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight freezer bag or container for up to three months. When you’re ready to serve, let the cake thaw overnight in the fridge and then frost as usual.
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Kahlua Chocolate Cake
Kahlua Chocolate Cake is an easy cake recipe with an adult twist. Rich, moist, and flavorful chocolate cake is layered and topped with Kahlua-infused whipped cream. A delightfully indulgent dessert that any chocolate lover will find irresistible.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup Kahlua
- 1 cup water
For the Frosting
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons Kahlua
Instructions
For The Cake
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans or springform pans; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Stir in the sugar and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, eggs, vanilla, kahlua, and water.
- Pour the mayonnaise mixture into the flour mixture and stir together until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and put the cake pans on cooling racks, and cool for 15 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans to cool completely on the cooling racks.
For The Frosting
- Combine chilled heavy cream, sugar, cocoa, and Kahlua in your mixer's bowl.
- Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Assemble The Cake
- If your cake layers have a dome, you can slice the domed section off using a serrated knife.
- Spoon a tablespoon of frosting in the center of your cake platter to act as glue and place one cake layer on top.
- Spoon some of the frosting onto the center of the first layer and spread around.
- Set the top layer over and spread more frosting over the top and around the sides.
- Cut and serve.
Notes
- Room Temp: Keep all ingredients at room temperature for easy mixing.
- Gentle Mix: Combine ingredients just until mixed to avoid toughness.
- Baking Test: Use a toothpick to check if your cake is ready.
- Cool Down: Let the cake cool entirely before frosting.
- Slow Add: Gradually add your dry ingredients to the wet mix to prevent lumps.
- Oven Check: Preheat your oven properly and position the cake in the center for even baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 541kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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This looks quite scrumptious, Kate!!! — perfect for the celebration.
I’ve seen several other bloggers participate in this challenge, but this is BY FAR the most gorgeous!! I haven’t made a mayo cake in a long while– time to catch up. Love this!!
You are so kind, Heather! THANK YOU!!!
This cake… omg!!! Normally I HATE mayo, but I’ll take it in chocolate cake form any day!!!
I love Kahlua! Cake + chocolate + kahlua? Now that is heaven!
I saw this cake float across my facebook newsfeed and I’ve been thinking about it ever since!! Funny, we don’t have Hellman’s here in California, here it is Best Foods. But it’s the brand I use, and this looks to be a cake I need to make!!
In other words, you took an already great recipe and made it even better! That cake is gorgeous!!
wow I don’t think I have ever seen a mayo cake! In fact I had never thought of such a possibility but after seeing yours I feel like running into the kitchen and make my own. =)
By the way Coffee liqeuer is ingenious Kate!
It was my bday yesterday and what I would have given to have a cake like this. Stunning! And booze IN the cake, even better.
Pinned!