Mango Cake with Mango Cream Filling and Mango Compote

Mango Cake: This light and fluffy vanilla cake, filled with mango compote and mango whipped cream is a truly delightful taste of summer.

Mango Cake

This one feels LONG overdue! Finally adding a Mango Cake to the list of over 100 cake recipes on CakebyCourtney.com and I couldn’t be more excited!

Westin has been asking for this cake forever (so he says!), but for whatever reason, I keep putting it on the back burner. While at a luncheon just a couple weeks ago, we were served a delicious mango layered cake that reminded me it was time to make my own! I loved how the cake was cut into four thin layers and filled with a flavorful mango compote and a more subtle mango cream filling. The combination of the two fillings provided such a great flavor and lightness to the cake.

For my cake, I baked my cake layers in two 8-inch round cake pans, split them in half, and then layered them with compote and a cream filling. I also added some vanilla buttercream to help create some stability (I’ll explain that in the instructions). However, I didn’t want the buttercream to overpower the mango flavor, so you’ll notice I only made a half batch and created a semi-naked look on the cake.

For the cake layers, we’re making a vanilla cake and then we’ll use mango in the fillings.

How to Create Moist Cake Layers

As you make the cake layers, be sure to follow my tips for baking moist cake layers:

• Use real butter
• Measure correctly
• Add fat
• Watch bake time and temp
• Use light metal pans
• Mix on low speed at the end
• Serve cake at room temp

You can read more about these tips over on THIS BLOG POST.

Mango Compote

For the mango compote, I recommend making this a day or two ahead of time. Because the compote cooks on the stove, and therefore gets hot, we want it to have plenty of time to cool and thicken a bit in the refrigerator.

For the compote, you’ll need

• Mangoes (I used frozen because mangoes aren’t quite in season)
• Sugar
• Food processor, blender or emulsion blender.

NOTE: this recipe makes a lot, but remember, it’s for the compote and will be used in the whipped cream filling.

Mango Whipped Cream

The mango whipped cream filling is actually what took me some time to figure out. I wanted to try out a couple different methods to see which had the most flavor and which would be the easiest to make.

In one round I used EZ Gel with my whipped cream, powdered sugar, compote and vanilla.

In the second round I used gelatin (blooming it in some warm water and then adding it to the heavy cream).

In the third round, I actually switched gears and did my fruit whipped cream method you’ve seen in my Raspberry Truffle Cake with freeze dried mangoes and whipped cream.

The results:

• The EZ Gel version was the easiest to make and the most stable. The flavor also stood out the most.
• The gelatin version wasn’t as stable and even though I used the same amount of compote as the EZ Gel version, it didn’t stand out as much.
• The freeze dried version was the least flavorful but also had a good, sturdy texture.

The winning version was definitely the EZ Gel version, which you’ll see below in the recipe. It reminds me of a mango mousse and it’s utterly delicious!

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Mango Cake

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Light and fluffy vanilla cake layers with mango compote, mango cream filling and vanilla buttercream.

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Ingredients

  

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 6 egg whites room temperature
• 1 tbsp. (13 g) vanilla extract
• 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
• 1 tbsp. (12 g) baking powder
• 1 tsp. (6 g) salt
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, room temperature

For the Mango Compote

• 1 pound frozen or fresh mango
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar

For the Mango Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240 g) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/4 cup (31.25 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
• 1/2 tablespoon EZ Gel
• 3/4 cup (187.5 g) mango compote, recipe above

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
• 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
• 2 tablespoons (28.8 g) heavy cream, cold
• 1 tsp (4.2 g) vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• *This buttercream recipe is a half batch. This will be enough buttercream to pipe a rim of buttercream around each layer of cake and to apply two thin layers of buttercream around the outside to create semi-naked look.

Instructions

 

FOR THE CAKE

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick spray and then line with parchment. Spray again. Set aside.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar for 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high speed, stopping to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl occassionally. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
• Begin to add the egg whites on medium speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between addition, continue beating on medium-high speed until the texture is smooth and the volume is nearly doubled, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated.
• With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by ½ cup of the buttermilk. Repeat the additions, ⅓ flour mixture, ½ cup buttermilk and the final ⅓ flour mixture. Only mix until the flour mixture is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again for another 20 to 30 seconds on low. Fold in the sour cream.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let cool in the pans for about 15 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Tip: spray your wire cooling racks with nonstick spray).
• After the cakes have cooled completely, divide each layer horizontally so you have four thin layers.
• If you’re not using them right away, wrap the layers with plastic wrap and freeze.

For the Mango Compote

• In a medium size saucepan, cook the mango and the sugar over medium heat until soft.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture. Alternatively, you can put the cooked mango mixture into a blender and puree, and then return it to the saucepan.
• Cook the mixture over low heat for an addition 10 to 15 minutes to thicken (reducing the water content).
• Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store the compote in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• The compote needs to be cold before using in the cake and cream filling,

For the Mango Cream Filling

• In a chilled stainless steel bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar, while gradually sprinkling in the EZ Gel. Beat until you reach stiff peaks.
• With the mixer on, gradually add the mango compote.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FOR THE BUTTERCREAM

• In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy and pale in color.
• With the mixer on slow, gradually add the powdered sugar, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla, and pinch of salt.
• Once all of the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for a couple minutes more.
• Before using the buttercream, make sure to beat it by hand with a wooden spoon or large spatula to help push out the air pockets.

ASSEMBLY

• Place the first cake layer top side up, in the center of the cake board.
• Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake. Fill with half of the mango cream filling.
• Place the second cake layer, top side down, on the cream filling. Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake. Fill with about ¼ to ⅓ cup compote.
• Place the third cake layer, top side up, on the compote. Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake. Evenly spread the second half of the mango cream filling.
• Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the cream filling.
• Apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes. This is your crumb coat.
• Once the crumb coat is set, continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream. This will be another thin layer to give you that semi-naked cake look.
• Add any remaining compote to the top of the cake or serve a dollop of compote with each slice of cake.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cake

Keyword: Mango, Mango cake, Mango compote, mango cream filling, Vanilla Buttercream, Vanilla CAke