Best Mango Mousse Cake
Are you ready for the BEST Mango Mousse Cake recipe on the internet? This irresistible cake is the perfect summer dessert! With a soft vanilla sponge cake base, creamy mango mousse centre and a glossy mango gel topping - it’s light, dreamy and bursts with fruity sweetness!
Equipment
- 1 Electric Hand Mixer
- 1 Cake Stand
- 1 Small Blender
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Chiffon/Sponge Cake Base
- 3 large egg whites
- 60 g caster sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 40 ml whole milk
- 25 ml vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 60 g cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
For the Mango Mousse Centre
- 250 g mango puree
- 30 g caster sugar
- 50 g white chocolate chips I use Callebaut W2
- 2 sheets leaf gelatine
- 200 ml heavy cream
For the Mango Gel Topping
- 200 g mango puree
- 30 g caster sugar
- 30 ml water (more if needed)
- 1 sheet leaf gelatine
Instructions
For the Vanilla Chiffon/Sponge Cake Base
- Prep: Adjust the oven rack to the bottom-middle position before preheating. Preheat the oven to 170℃ / 340℉. Line the base ONLY of an 8" round (anodised aluminium) bake pan with parchment paper. Do not grease.
- Separate Eggs: Separate 3 large eggs into 2 large bowls. Whisk the yolks and set aside.
- Beat Egg Whites: Whisk egg whites on medium speed until frothy, then gradually add sugar until fully incorporated.
- Whip To Soft Peaks: Beat egg whites into meringue of soft peaks. Where the peaks gently bend or fall over when the whisk is lifted. Do not over whip. No need to wash the whisk, use for the next step.
- Yolk Mixture: In the bowl with yolks, add milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Whisk until just combined. Sift in cake flour and baking powder and add a pinch of salt. Whisk or fold with a spatula until just combined.
- Combine whipped egg whites (meringue) and egg yolk mixture: Add a third of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture and whisk/fold until just combined. Pour this lightened batter into the remaining meringue and gently fold until no white streaks remain.
- Fill Bake Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and tap the pan on the bench to remove any large air bubbles.
- Water Bath: Place the cake pan in a larger oven-safe pan and pour hot water into the outer pan until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the cake pan. It's fine if the cake pan floats.
- Bake: Bake at 170℃ / 340℉ on top and bottom heating (i.e. without fan/conventional) for 20-22 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown. Check for doneness by inserting a skewer into the center of the cake; it should come out clean. Remove from oven.
- Release Cake: Allow the cake to cool completely inside the bake pan or inverted on a wire rack. Either method is fine. The cake will pull away from the side walls as it cools.
- Invert and Prepare Cake: Carefully invert the cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Wrap an acetate collar snugly around the cake and secure with tape to contain the mousse and gel. Set aside.
For the Mango Mousse Centre
- Blend Mango To Puree: Peel and clean 1–2 large mangoes (ensure you have 450g). Blend all the pulp in a small blender until smooth.
- Prepare Mango Mixture: Measure 250g of mango puree for the mousse and combine it with sugar in a pot. Heat on low, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture simmers. Add white chocolate chips and stir until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- Hydrate/Bloom Gelatine Sheets: In a separate bowl filled with cold water, fully submerge 2 dry gelatine sheets to bloom. Once soft and pliable they have bloomed (this should only take 2-3 minutes). Remove the sheets from the water and squeeze out any excess liquid, then add this to the mango puree, mix till fully dissolved.
- Whisk Heavy Cream: In a separate bowl, combine cold heavy cream and sugar. Using an electric beater, whisk until thickened, but not whipped. It should look soupy, be sure not to overwhip.
- Combine Mango Puree with Cream: Gently fold the mango puree into the cream in batches until fully combined. Do not overmix. The mousse is now ready.
- Set Mousse on Cake: Pour the mousse over the sponge cake and refrigerate to set.
For the Mango Gel Topping
- Prepare Mango Gel: Add the remaining mango puree (200g) and sugar to the same pot used earlier. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add water to loosen and stir to combine, then remove from heat;
- Prepare and Add Gelatine: In a separate bowl, bloom 1 leaf gelatine sheet in cold water. This should only take 2-3 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and add this to mango puree, mix till fully dissolved. Let it cool slightly.
- Finish with Mango Gel: Pour an even layer of the mango gel over the mousse and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until fully set.
Notes
Mango: You'll need 1–2 large mangoes to yield enough puree for this recipe.
I highly recommend you read the entire blog posts to ensure you get this cake right the first time you try it!