Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes

It may seem like forever since I actually baked anything but I promise that's not the case. The reality is that I have been lazy about uploading pictures. I have a few recipes to share with you and I'm going to start with sharing the best thing I've made recently: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes. I have always been fascinated by the use of mayonnaise in baking. I love to slather the stuff on my sandwiches but was skeptical as to how the flavor would translate into a baked good. Let me just come out and say that it translates very, very well. These cupcakes were beyond delicious. By far the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had. They were better the next day. The cupcakes were so fudgy and rich in chocolate flavor that I didn't even bother with icing them (confession: I prefer my cupcakes with little or no frosting); we ate them as is or with a scoop of ice cream. This is now my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe and would work perfectly with your favorite frosting recipe.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes
Source: Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey
Yields 24 cupcakes

2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cups 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 F. Line two 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 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 a 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 the cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. When the cupcakes are completely cool, frost.

Serve and enjoy.