I love cake and I love dark chocolate in all its forms, but the ideal chocolate cake to me is moist, but not too dense, with a dark chocolatey flavor. After quite a few recipes my search ended with this one calling for mayonnaise, which surprised me. A chocolate buttercream frosting completes it.

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup cold water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup baking cocoa (I prefer Scharffenbergers unsweetened cocoa)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, sifted twice or cake flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
With electric mixer, blend mayonnaise and sugar in mixing bowl. Gradually beat in cold water and vanilla. Sift flour baking soda and baking cocoa. Add dry ingredients to mayonnaise mixture beating until blended. Pour batter into two greased and floured 8” cake pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on rack then frost.

NOTE:
Quick Blender Mayonnaise
Put 2 eggs, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup oil in blender and mix 1 to 2 minutes at medium high speed. Drizzle in an additional 1 cup of oil and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and blend a few more minutes until thick.

Chocolate Frosting:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened or melted
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

With electric mixer, blend butter and cocoa together. Add a cup of sugar and half the milk and blend, then add remaining sugar and milk and beat at medium speed until it at spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.

Wine: I like my chocolate straight. But if you must, I would match with the Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc.