Got Mayo? Bake a Cake!

Yes, these Valentine's Day cupcakes are made with mayonnaise and, yes, they are delicious and you should make them for yourself or someone you love (or hopefully) both.  And they are perfect  topped with Pink Perfection Frosting.

I thought these were ideal for Valentine's Day because all the ingredients are placed in a single bowl, in no particular order, and then mixed all together.  It's the relationship equivalent of  putting all your love cards on the table, not withholding emotions, not mixing the butter and sugar first, then adding the eggs and slowly adding the flour.  It's jumping off the cliff and hoping you land in love.  I did that with DH nearly 30 years ago (after surviving some heartbreaking game playing relationships) and it worked out pretty well.

And so, without further ado (and because I'm traveling and writing this on a frustratingly ancient computer), I bring you the photos for this.  Note that the frosting is from a c. 1940s or 1950s Ladies Home Journal recipe box.  (Pick up the March issue of that magazine to see a wonderful feature about this blog-- more about that next week.)

Production notes:  Although the recipe calls for Miracle Whip, I used Hellman's.  And the frosting can be applied without a pastry bag -- just smooth on with a knife or small spatula.  Mayonnaise cakes are a classic -- Rose Levy Berenbaum in The Cake Bible includes a recipe that she found written on a 1919 postcard!  Since mayonnaise is basically eggs and oil, it replaces the eggs and butter.

If you really want to be a sweetheart (and don't have time to bake or buy a gift), you can consider making a Valentine's Day donation to Henry Street Settlement, and we'll send an eCard to your honey telling them of your thoughtfulness.

Below is the mis en place for the cake.