Mango Mousse Cake

Need a mango treat? This Mango Mousse Cake is a decadent cake made of a moist sponge cake topped with a creamy mango mousse, then finished with a sweet mango gel topping. This is your serious mango craving fix that you can make all- year round!

The previous update of this post was July 23, 2021 and is updated on the date above to add recipe annotations regarding the tempering process of both the mango mousse and mango gel.

As mangoes arrive at our house one carton full after another, I get reminded to make this simply elegant Mango Mousse Cake.

It is my way of celebrating the mango season by giving it the limelight it deserves.

Between my father, and my nanay, it will seem that we have a steady supplier of mangoes. We don’t. They just kind of panic buy each time they see a box of nice, plump mangoes in Asian supermarkets.

Canned Mango Pulp

• But here is the thing though, this mango mousse cake, they are not made using fresh mangoes. I used the canned, pureed ones. While you can use fresh mangoes to make this cake, I can’t remember the last time I did so.
• There is hardly any difference between the two, except I get spared from using the blender as an additional step when using the fresh ones. The canned ones are wonderful and tasty as fresh, and the convenience of using them cannot be beaten.
• The ones like Kesar Mango Pulp or Alphonso Mango Pulp are the ones I always use. Note that these mango pulps are different from the mango nectars and mango juices. These canned mango pulp can be found in the Oriental/ Oriental aisle of supermarkets. Again, they are not nectars nor juices. They are mango pulp.

What if I Want to Use Fresh Mangoes?

• But of course, you can! You just need to puree the pulp in a blender. About 6-7 large Alphonso, Manila or Autulfo mangoes are needed in this recipe.
• The goal is to yield 3 cups of puree. Also, since the sweetness of the fresh mangoes varies, you may need to adjust it by adding sugar.
• I do so by stirring the mango puree and the desired amount of sugar over medium heat in a saucepan, just until the sugar dissolves.

Mango Mousse Cake: The Process

1. Make the Sponge Cake
2. Make the Mango Mousse
3. Make the Mango Gel

Sponge Cake

The heart of sponge cakes is the beaten whole eggs. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or handheld mixer), beat the eggs until foamy. Then add the sugar gradually and keep beating for about 7-10 minutes until the mixture is thick and pale.

When you lift up the beater, the batter should drip down and hit the surface and form ribbons that do not sink right away.

Sift the powders ( flour and baking powder) over the egg batter gradually. Fold after each addition until no streaks of flour remain. Always check the bottom of the bowl for pockets of flour that you may have missed.

Pour and scrape the batter into an 8- inch springform pan that is lined with parchment paper at the bottom. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.

Let the cake cool slightly in the pan. Then unmold it by removing the cake ring and let it cool completely on a wire rack with only the parchment paper attached to it.

Return and enclose the cake in the springform pan and brush the surface with enough stock syrup. Recipe for stock syrup in the recipe card.

steps for making the Mango Mousse: A stabilized whipped cream

1. The mango mousse is a mixture of whipped cream and mango puree. For the mixture to set, unflavored gelatin is added to it.
2. Whip the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer until it is fluffy and thick. Fold the whipped cream gradually into the mango puree until well combined.
3. For the gelatin, stir water and gelatin powder in a small microwaveable bowl until the powders are dissolved. Let this sit for a minute or two. Microwave the mixture for  15 seconds or so, until the mixture is clear and liquidy. Let this cool slightly.
4. To add this mixture to the whipped mango cream, first we temper: scoop out about 1/4 cup of whipped cream into a small bowl. Pour the gelatin mixture slowly into the cream while stirring the mixture quickly, constantly and thoroughly. Tempering: Adding a small amount of a component with a different temperature to another component to equalize the temperature difference, then adding that mini mixture of the two back to the main component.
5. Then, fold the gelatin-cream mixture back to the whipped mango cream in the bowl and stir well and right away.
6. Pour the mango mousse over the sponge cake. Just pour it away and let the mixture occupy the entire surface. Refrigerate the cake for  8 hours or until the mousse is set.

Mango Mousse Tips

• Lumpy Mango Mousse. The mousse turns lumpy if the hot gelatin mixture is added abruptly to the whipped cream mixture. The hot gelatin mixture solidifies as soon as the cold cream comes into contact with it. To avoid this, the tempering process is included in the instruction. Also to avoid lumps, make sure to cool the gelatin mixture slightly after microwaving it.
• During tempering, pour the gelatin mixture slowly into the small amount of cream while stirring it in constantly and quickly into the cream.

Mango Gel Topping

1. Stir sugar together sugar and mango puree. You can add more sugar (or less) if you prefer. The mango gel is also set using gelatin powder.
2. Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the water and let the mixture stand for half a minute. Microwave the mixture until it is clear, about 10 seconds or so. Cool slightly.
3. Again temper. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the mango mixture and place it in a small bowl. Slowly pour the gelatin mixture to the small amount of mango puree while you stir them together quickly with the other hand. Stir the mixture back to the entire mango puree until smooth. Gently pour over the mango mousse. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2-4 hours or until set.

So as I feast on the fresh mangoes that abound in our house, I also indulge in this mango mousse cake. You just can’t have too many mangoes.

They are wonderful. Enjoy this cake!

If you want more cake recipes, check these out:

• Raspberry Cake with Chantilly Cream
• Chiffon Cake with Pineapple Glaze
• Mango Roll Cake
• Blueberry Cheesecake
• Apple Streusel
• Mango Chiffon Cake with Mango Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page to learn more.