Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar (or maple syrup)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup water (or milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt.  

Cream together the sugar, mayonnaise, water and vanilla.  

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; stir until well blended.  

Pour into a greased and floured layer cake pan (or 9x13 pan).  

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.  Frost if you like, but good plain.

~ Thanks goes to my sister for this recipe via email.  It's a recipe similar to the one that has been in the family for many years.  My dad's sister used to make mayonnaise cake and everybody loved it! ~

Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen (roughly chopped)

Topping

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease or line a 12 slot muffin tin.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Fold in sour cream.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Add this flour mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring just until moistened.  Fold in cranberries.

In a small bowl combine topping ingredients.

Fill muffin tin slots 2/3 full and sprinkle with topping.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (although it will most likely be stained red).  Cool in tins for about 5 minutes before removing.  Makes a dozen muffins.

~ I had leftover cranberries from the cranberry upside down cake I made the other night and wanted to use them up, so I made these muffins.  I think they turned out pretty good.  Again, tart, yet semi sweet.  I think maybe an addition of orange zest (or maybe even orange juice) to the batter might take it up another notch, but all in all, good muffins. ~