Mango and coconut team up to deliver a refreshing Mango Mousse Cake that will knock your socks off! This light and luscious dessert has a thick layer of cloud-like, fresh mango mousse floating on a coconut infused sponge cake.
This is total bliss! If you are a mango lover this mango mousse cake is for you! Take a taste and savor the best cool, creamy dessert ever!
Mangos are just coming into season and I am so happy! Mangos are one of my personal favorites in the fruit department. There is sweetness galore in those lovely golden mangos but the secret is to get the ripe ones!
You may want to grab a few extra for eating but make sure you get enough to make this incredible mousse cake.
Check out our video to see how it is done.
Choosing Mangos For The Mango Mousse Cake:
Did you know there are over 1,000 varieties of mangos growing in tropical areas all over the world? There are some varieties of mango that have many stringy fibers in their flesh. Yes, they are sweet and delicious but with so much fiber we do not recommend them for this creamy dessert. We used the Champagne® mango which is sweet and super-creamy when ripe.
The Champagne® mango is a variety of the Ataulfo mango. It is also known as the Manilla mango and the honey mango. This oblong, mango is so sweet and juicy when fully ripened.
When buying mangos don’t only select according to their pretty yellow appearance. Choose the same way that you choose an avocado, checking it out by how it looks and feels. If there is a little give when lightly pressed, chances are it is fairly ripe. Let it sit on the kitchen counter for a day or so and it will ripen further and become sweeter.
If you are in a hurry to have it ripen then place it in a brown paper bag for a few days. Do not refrigerate an unripened mango as it will not ripen and you will be disappointed with its tartness and lack of sweetness.
Do you want to eat a mango right away? Then select the one with a slightly wrinkled skin…. the one you would normally reject. It will not be as beautiful as the smooth, firm mangos but it will be sweet, juicy and delicious!
How many mangos do I need for this cake?
We used 6 medium sized mangos. However, since mangos come in various sizes, it is easier to weigh the mangos. We used 3-1/2 pounds of mangos for this recipe. That made a little over 3 cups of mango puree which we reduced to about 3 cups after we simmered in on the stovetop.
Can I Use Frozen Mango Cubes?
Frozen mango cubes can be substituted for the fresh mango to make the mango purée in our mousse cake. From my experience, frozen mangos are more tart than I like. Most likely they are processed before they are fully ripe and sweet. You will probably need to add sugar to offset the tartness. There is also a commercial mango purée available which I have not tried, but nothing tastes as good as fresh!
The Champagne® mangos are arriving in our produce markets as I write this post. They are so sweet and creamy that when frozen and blitzed in a food processor it has the texture and taste of ice cream. No added sugar required! Check out our post for easy mango sorbet.
Coconut:
Coconut is another tropical fruit used in this recipe. The moist layer of cake has shredded coconut plus coconut milk mixed into the batter. The addition of coconut compliments the mango deliciously.
We are all familiar with coconut and are aware that not everyone loves it as much as we do. Not to worry, you can leave it out of this mango mousse cake and still have a fabulous dessert.
How We Made Our Mango Mousse Cake:
This recipe does have several steps and will take some time to put together but they are not difficult steps.
- Bake the cake
- Purée the Mango
- Add the gelatin to the mango puree
- Whip the heavy cream and fold into the mango.
- Let the whole thing chill until set
All doable! This is well worth the effort.
The Cake:
- The recipe makes one 9-inch cake layer that becomes the base for the mango mousse. When ready to assemble the mango mousse cake, slice a thin sliver from the cake layer to level it off. To save time you can bake the coconut cake in advance, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze it until ready to assemble.
Mango Purée:
- We need 3 cups of purée for the mango mousse. Using 5 mangos of 8 ounces each, on average, will be more than enough. Reserve any extra mango purée for your morning yogurt, yum! When preparing the mangos, cut the flesh of one mango into cubes and reserve for garnishing the top of the finished cake. A little warm liquid gelatin added while blending gives the purée stability for the mousse.
The Gelatin
- This recipe uses gelatin to thicken and stabilize the mango mousse. We used Knox gelatin granules. The granules are easy to use but you need to know a few tips for success. First, you need to make sure the granules stay separated before you heat them.
- To keep them separated, sprinkle them over cold water and let it sit for a couple of minutes to “bloom”. It will get thick and pasty. That’s when you can heat the gelatin up. We just stuck it in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds, stirred it around, then gave it another 20-second blast.
- Once it is heated and liquified, you can add it to the mango puree.
The Whipped Cream:
- Using a heavy cream of 36 to 40% will give the best results for a voluminous, fluffy mass that adds a luxurious taste and texture to the mousse. Whip to the soft-peak stage then fold into the purée with the cooled meringue.
Assembling the Mango Mousse Cake:
You have some options here. You can set the cake layer directly on your serving plate using the ring of the springform pan as the mold. The other option would be to reassemble the springform pan with the bottom and put the layer of cake inside. Either way works, however, it is really convenient to form the cake directly onto the serving plate or pedestal with the pan ring as the mold.
Whichever way you choose, first assemble a cake collar of folded parchment paper about an inch wider than the depth of the pan. This collar will keep the mousse from sticking to the side of the pan. It will also add enough space for a thick layer of mousse.
Slide the paper collar inside the pan between the cake and pan and set the closure clamp. Pour the prepared mousse onto the layer cake, spreading it and smoothing the top.
Transfer the cake to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4-hours, preferably overnight. When ready to serve, transfer from the refrigerator and place on your serving plate, release the closure and remove the metal pan ring and paper collar. Add a few mango cubes and a sprig of mint to adorn the top of this beauty!
More Chilled or Frozen Desserts
- Mango “Ice Cream”
- Chocolate Caramel Tart
- Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- 31 Cool Summer Dessert Ideas
More Dessert Recipes That You Will Love:
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Mango Mousse Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup 100 g sugar
- 1 cups 120g All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil not coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
For the Mango Purée:
- 6 medium mangos or 3-1/2 pounds
- 1/2 cup Sugar optional
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 2 envelopes Gelatin 5 teaspoons (I used Knox)
For the Whip Cream:
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Spray the paper with non-stick spray, set the pan aside.
- Place the eggs (while still in the egg shells) in a bowl of very warm water. The water should feel like very warm bath water. Let them sit in the warm water for about 10-minutes. Warming the eggs up will help them whip with more volume.
- Crack the warmed eggs into a stand mixer (or use a hand held electric mixer), begin beating on high speed with the whisk attachment while gradually adding the remaining sugar. Beat until the eggs and sugar are thick, fluffy, and pale in color. When you lift the beater the egg mixture should fall in a ribbon like pattern. That’s how you know the eggs have mixed long enough. It should take 8 to 10 minutes (15 minutes with a hand-held mixer).
- Stop the mixer and sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the egg mixture, then fold the flour in just to combine. The batter will be thick.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the oil, coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extracts, then stir about 1/2 of the cake batter into the mixture. (See notes) Pour this mixture back into the main cake batter, add the flaked coconut and fold the mixture to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Place the cake on a wire rack and cool for 5-minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely.
- Cut strips of parchment paper to line the inside edges of the springform pan. The strips should be wide enough to extend 1/2 to 1-inch above the top of the cake ring. Carefully place the cake inside the pan. (See note #4)
For the Mango Purée:
- In a small shallow dish add 1/2 cup cold water and sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let it sit to soften.
- Peel and cube the mangos then add them to a food processor or blender and puree them.
- Pour the mango puree into a sauce pan and add the sugar. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes while constantly stirring. This will reduce the puree and concentrate the flavors.
- Set the dish with the gelatin in the microwave and zap it for 10-15 seconds to liquify it. Pour the liquified gelatin into the mango puree.
- Refrigerate until cool, stirring every few minutes until slightly thickened. (See notes)
For the Whip Cream:
- Place the heavy cream into a mixing bowl and begin whipping. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue whipping until you have stiff peaks.
- Fold 1/2 of the whipped cream into the cooled mango puree, then fold in the other half of the whipped cream.
Assembling the cake:
- Get the springform pan that you lined with a parchment collar and place the cake on the bottom. Pour the mango mousse on top of the cake and chill for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight until firm.
- When the cake is firm, remove the outer ring of the spring-form pan and peal off the parchment paper collar. Garnish with cubes of fresh mango and mint sprigs.
Notes
- The whipped eggs/flour mixture is very thick and mixing part of it into the oil/milk mixture will make it much easier to blend the entire wet mixture into the thick batter without over-mixing the batter.
- Optional: Straining the puree through a fine-mesh strainer will remove any tiny lumps. The puree texture will be smooth and velvety. This is especially important if you are using very stringy and fibrous mangos.
- To cool the mango puree quickly, set the bowl inside a larger pan/bowl filled with ice and water. Stir frequently until cool and slightly thickened.
- Line the inside edge of the pan with a tall collar of parchment before adding the mousse. We cut a strip of parchment that was 32 inches long and 4 inches tall.
- The mousse cake may also be assembled directly on a cake plate: Center the cake layer on the cake plate and place the rim of the springform pan over the cake, slip the parchment paper strips between the rim and the cake, tighten the hinge. Pour the prepared mousse into the pan onto of the cake, smooth and chill until firm.
- When serving, remove the side rim of the springform pan from the cake. Gently peel away the parchment paper.
- If the cake was assembled in the pan, remove the rim and the parchment paper collar and with a long-bladed stiff spatula loosen and lift the cake from the pan bottom onto a serving plate or cake pedestal.
