This creamy mango layer cake—featuring chunks of the flavorful potassium-filled fruit—is the ultimate summertime treat. Serve mango cake as the tasty conclusion to a brunch, birthday party, or dinner.
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What Is Mango Cake?
Mango cake is a fruit-filled baked treat consisting of layers of airy sponge cake, homemade vanilla whipped cream, and fresh mango chunks. Light, springy sponge cake gets its signature texture from the addition of foamy whisked eggs, allowing the cake to rise without baking powder or baking soda. This porous sponge makes the perfect accompaniment for sweet liquids, which is why it’s a popular base for desserts like tres leches cake, trifles, and a summery mango layer cake.
7 Types of Mango Cake
Sweet mangos make an excellent addition to various cakes, from creamy cheesecakes to simple pound cakes. Some of the most popular types of mango cake include:
- 1. Mango cheesecake: Top a classic cheesecake with fresh or macerated mango, a swirl of mango curd, or mango cream for the ultimate creamy, tropical dessert.
- 2. Mango ice cream cake: For a cool, creamy summer dessert, add mango purée to a classic ice cream cake recipe.
- 3. Mango icebox cake: For a no-bake dessert, add fresh mango or mango purée to a classic icebox cake recipe. Learn how to make icebox cake.
- 4. Mango pound cake: Stir mango preserves into a simple pound cake recipe, or fold fresh mango chunks into the cake batter for a delicious breakfast or brunch option.
- 5. Mango sponge cake: Make a classic mango sponge cake by layering preserves between its layers or folding mango chunks or purée into the batter.
- 6. Mango yellow cake: Adding fresh mango pulp or mango preserves to a store-bought yellow cake mix is the easiest way to produce a tasty tropical-flavored cake in no time at all.
- 7. Thai mango cake: Also known as Khek Ma-Muang, this popular Thai dessert consists of layers of coconut or vanilla cake, creamy icing, and diced or canned mangos.
7 Tips for Making Mango Cake
Follow these tips to make the most of your mango cake:
- 1. Pick ripe mangos. When purchasing fresh mangos for this cake, look for ripe fruit with just a bit of give when squeezed. Avoid mangos with soft spots or browning on the peel, which indicates overripe, fibrous fruit.
- 2. Mix the batter just right. Overmixing cake batter causes gluten overdevelopment, resulting in a tough and rubbery texture. To avoid this, mix your wet and dry ingredients until they are just combined.
- 3. Change up the cake. Switch up the format of a classic round mango cake by pouring your batter into a bundt pan or muffin tin to make cupcakes. Keep in mind that you will need to adjust your bake time if you decide to vary your baking vessel.
- 4. Experiment with different ingredients. Incorporate different ingredients into your mango cake to alter the flavor profile. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to your frosting for some tanginess. Cover the frosting with macadamia nuts or shredded coconut for textural variation. For a gluten-free treat, swap the all-purpose flour for an option without gluten, like sorghum flour, almond flour, or oat flour.
- 5. Cool the cakes fully. After baking your sponge cake layers, let them cool to room temperature before spreading on the frosting. The cold whipped cream will melt on warm cakes that aren’t completely cool.
- 6. Keep your whipped cream cold. For the best result, keep your whipped cream extremely cold throughout the cake assembly process. Whip your cream in a chilled bowl, keep it stored in the refrigerator when not in use, and refrigerate the cream as needed throughout the icing process if it becomes too warm.
- 7. Change up the frosting. Swap a dollop of whipped cream for cream cheese frosting, buttercream frosting, or a flavored frosting (like strawberry frosting) for a tasty variation on this dessert.
Easy Mango Cake Recipe
makes
1 9-inch layer cakeprep time
45 mintotal time
1 hr 10 mincook time
25 minIngredients
For the sponge cake:
For the whipped cream:
For assembly:
Note: The total time does not include at least 2 hours of inactive time.
Make the sponge cake:
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease two round 9-inch cake pans with nonstick spray.
- 2
Line the bottom and sides of each pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper with cooking spray or butter.
- 3
In a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose flour and salt together.
- 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed. (Alternatively, add the ingredients to a large bowl and use a balloon whisk or a hand mixer to combine.) Keep whisking until the egg mixture holds a ribbon trail for 10 seconds with the instrument lifted, about 5 minutes if using an electric mixer.
- 5
Add the vanilla extract to the batter and whisk until just incorporated, a few seconds more.
- 6
Sift one-third of the flour mixture into the whipped egg mixture and gently fold it into the batter to incorporate, being careful not to deflate it.
- 7
Sift the rest of the flour over the batter and gently fold to incorporate, being careful not to overmix.
- 8
Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake the cakes until they shrink away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
- 9
Remove the cakes from the oven. Let the cakes cool in the pans until they’re cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
- 10
Invert the cakes onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 30–45 minutes.
Make the whipped cream:
- 1
In a large chilled bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- 2
Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the cream and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the cake:
- 1
In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of whipped cream with half of the mango chunks and stir until combined. This will be your mango cream filling.
- 2
Place one of the cake rounds on a cake stand or plate. Spread the mango cake filling over the first layer of cake.
- 3
Top the mango filling with the second layer of sponge cake.
- 4
Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake.
- 5
Garnish the top of the cake with the remaining mango chunks and transfer it to the refrigerator to set for a minimum of 1 hour before slicing and serving.
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