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This mango cake is bursting with fresh mango flavor! It has surprisingly simple ingredients (ONLY 9 TOTAL!) but it is a show stopper – and truly tastes as good as it looks.
This mango cake is a close relative of our wildly popular strawberry sponge cake. The fresh sweet mangos really shine in this recipe. Serve this at your next party and you will get plenty of compliments!
Watch How to Make this Mango Cake Recipe:
Mango is the real star of this cake so make sure to pick some good, sweet ripe ones (see video tutorial on selecting the perfect mango below). Mangos add a beautiful pop of color, incredible flavor, and a healthy boost of nutrients to the cake.
We just love mangos in our family and thankfully they are available year-round to satisfy the craving when it hits!
Ingredients for Sponge Cake:
6 large eggs, room temp
1 cup (210 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1/2 tsp baking powder
Mango Cake Filling/ Topping:
1 lb or 2 medium fresh mangos, peeled and thinly sliced into strips
1 lb or 2 medium fresh mangos (1 1/2 cups puréed )
1 to 4 Tbsp sugar, if needed
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
16 oz cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1 cup (16 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
How to Make the Sponge Cake (Click for Video Tutorial):
Prep: Pre-heat oven to 350˚F. Line the bottoms of two 9″ cake pans with parchment (do not grease pans).
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat 6 eggs on high speed 1 min until foamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar then continue beating on high for 8 min. It will be whipped and forming thick ribbons when you pull up the whisk.
Cooks Tip: This classic European sponge cake relies on the volume of beaten eggs to rise so do not rush the mixing step. If you’re new to sponge cakes, watch our video tutorial first.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Sift flour into batter 1/3 at a time, folding between each addition. Fold just until no flour streaks remain, scraping the bottom to catch any hidden pockets of flour. Divide evenly between prepared cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 23-28 min (my oven takes 25 min). Tops should be golden brown and spring back when poked slightly.
3. Run a knife or thin spatula around edges to loosen and invert onto wire rack. Peel back parchment paper right away. Place cakes right side up and cool to room temperature before cutting in half.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine 16 oz cream cheese, 1 cup butter, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. Beat on low to combine then increase to high and beat 5-6 mins, scraping down the bowl as needed. Frosting should be whipped, soft and spreadable. Transfer 1 cup frosting to piping bag fitted with large open star tip and refrigerate until ready to use for the topping.
How to Cut a Mango:
1. A mango has one long, flat seed in the center of the fruit that goes from stem to nose. Slice off the sides around the seeds of all 4 whole mangos resulting in 8 halves. Set aside 4 halves – you will need them to decorate the top. Dice remaining 4 halves and scoop them out of their skin then transfer these to a blender and process until puréed. Taste the mango purée and add sugar to taste if needed.
Watch how to pick a good mango:
A ripe mango is determined more by how it feels than how it looks. It can look completely green and be ripe. It should give a little when you push on the outsides similar to how an avocado would feel when it is ripe. It should not be bruised or feel squishy.
How to Assemble the Mango Cake:
1. Place the first sliced cake layer on a platter and spread with 1/2 cup mango purée. On the second cake layer, spread 1/2 cup frosting and place it frosting-side-down on the first layer so the cream and mango are hugging. Repeat with remaining layers then cover top and sides with remaining frosting. Pipe reserved frosting around the top border of your cake.
2. Peel and thinly slice 4 reserved mango halves, cutting some strips long ways and some wide. Layer mango slices in rings around the cake, starting with the longest pieces and overlapping each piece slightly until only a 1/2″ space is left in the center. Roll a long, thin strip of mango into a coil and place it in the center. Cake can be served right away or refrigerated 2 hours for easier slicing. It keeps well covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.
Tips for a Tastier Mango Cake:
Be sure to taste your mangos and mango filling. Sometimes you may end up with a bland mango (or even a bad mango). If your filling tastes bland, you can spruce it up with a little sugar and/or lemon juice.
Layer after layer of mangos and cream. It doesn’t get much better than this mango cake!
Mango Cake Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
For the Easy Sponge Cake:
- 6 large eggs, room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
For the Mango Cake Filling/ Topping:
- 1 lb fresh mangos, (2 medium) peeled and thinly sliced into strips
- 1 lb fresh mangos, (2 medium) 1 1/2 cups puréed
- 1 to 4 Tbsp sugar, if needed
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 16 oz cream cheese, 2 packages, softened
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (16 Tbsp), softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
How to Make the Sponge Cake (Click for Video Tutorial):
Prep: Pre-heat oven to 350˚F. Line the bottoms of two 9" cake pans with parchment (do not grease).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk, beat 6 eggs on high speed 1 min until foamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar then continue beating on high for 8 min. It will be whipped and forming thick ribbons when you pull up the whisk.*
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder.
- Sift flour into batter 1/3 at a time, folding between each addition, just until no flour streaks remain. Scrape from the bottom to catch any hidden flour pockets. Divide evenly between prepared cake pans and bake at 350˚F for 23-28 min (my oven takes 25 min). Tops should be golden brown and spring back when poked lightly.
- Run a knife or thin spatula around edges to loosen and invert onto wire rack. Peel back parchment paper right away and let cakes cool right-side-up to room temp before cutting them in half.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine 16 oz cream cheese, 1 cup butter, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tsp vanilla. Beat on low to combine then increase to high and beat 5-6 mins, scraping down the bowl as needed. Frosting should be whipped, soft and spreadable. Transfer 1 cup frosting to piping bag fitted with large open star tip and refrigerate until ready to use for the topping.
How to Cut Mango:
- A mango has one long, flat seed in the center of the fruit that goes from stem to nose. Slice off the sides around the seeds of all 4 whole mangos resulting in 8 halves. Set aside 4 halves - you will need them to decorate the top. Dice remaining 4 halves and scoop them out of their skin then transfer these to a blender and process until puréed. Taste the mango purée and add sugar to taste if needed.
How to Assemble the Mango Cake:
- Place the first sliced cake layer on a platter and spread with 1/2 cup mango purée. On the second cake layer, spread 1/2 cup frosting and place it frosting-side-down on the first layer so the cream and mango are hugging. Repeat with remaining layers then cover top and sides with remaining frosting. Pipe reserved frosting around the top border of your cake.
- Peel and thinly slice 4 reserved mango halves, cutting some strips long way and some wide. Layer mango slices in rings around the cake, starting with the longest pieces and overlapping each piece slightly until only a 1/2" space is left in the center. Roll a long thin strip of mango into a coil and place it in the center. Cake can be served right away or refrigerated 2 hours for easier slicing. It keeps well covered and refrigerated up to 3 days.
Notes
our video tutorial first
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
hi Natasha! I just wanted to say thank you for your recipes:) every time I cook anything from your website it always turns out perfect( and I’m not the best cook lol) even the cakes!
Aww thank you so much for sharing that with us! These are my favorite kind of reviews! Thank you!
Hi Natasha I would like to make your mango cake for my daughters birthday but I want to make it a bigger size like the rectangular 13×19 I think. How should I adjust the ingredients for the cake please let me know. Thanks
Hi Esther! That’s a huge pan! Are you sure it’s not a 9×13 pan? If so then yes for a 9×13 cake, you will have to double the recipe and make the cake layers separately so you don’t overwhelm your stand mixer. I hope this helps
Could you please let me know which manhos are better for this recipe, the round ones(sweeter) or the longer ones(sour)?
Thanks!
Hi Svetlana, the sweeter ones are best 🙂
Hi I want to make this cake and cover in fondant with a cake topper can you tell me will it hold the weight or is it too soft for fondant decorations .
Hi Sapna! Honestly I haven’t tested that. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe and if it holds up well 🙂
I have made this countless times, Natasha. COUNTLESS!! Making it again for Friendsgiving tomorrow and I just wanted to say – THANK YOU.
You’re welcome! Sounds like you found a favorite here, Farhana! Thank you for that awesome review!
Everything in the recipe looks great. I have a small question. The sponge cake doesn’t need any butter?
Butter is not required for this batter.
Hi Natasha,
1. Will the cake become too soggy if I add a bit syrup in addition to the puree?
2. What do I need to do to make this cake into the regular rectangular cake pan (9/13)?
3. If I want to make a double recipe, can I double everything at once, or do I make one batch at a time?
Thank you so much!! You are awesome 🙂
Hi Sarah. With the mango puree in the cake, there is no syrup necessary at all in the cake. The puree moistens the layers perfectly. For a 9×13 cake, you will have to double the recipe and make the cake layers separately so you don’t overwhelm your stand mixer. Which should also answer your third question. Hope this helps!
Hi Natasha! I tried making this for Memorial Day weekend and it was a hit! I was wondering how did you put the mango puree filling and the cream cheese frosting without it mixinf together or getting liquidy?
Hi Grace, the two don’t blend together easily and it helps to refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. Thank you for the great review 😀
Hi Natasha, how do u avoid the
mangoes from bleeding/weeping?
Thanks!
Hi Khristine, I would suggest using mangos that are ripe but not overly ripe for this cake. They will hold up longer and better 🙂
Can you tell me the recipe for two 6 inch pans please? It would be very helpful….not only the cake batter but also frosting. Thankyou
hi Zainab, I haven’t tried this in a 6″ pan so I can’t say for sure, but I would suggest cutting everything down to 2/3 of the recipe; i.e. 4 eggs instead of 6.
I actually cut the whole recipe down to half because I found out that 6″ pan = 4 cups and 9″ pan = 8 cups….and it was perfect!! Omg it was Aaahhmmaaazing …Thankyou for this recipe 😊
My pleasure! I’m happy to hear the recipe was a great success. Thanks for sharing!
Does this cake need a soaking syrup like some of your other biskvit cakes, or does the mango purée soak in and make the layers moist? And if so, do you need to let it sit overnight? Same question for your strawberry cake (I’m trying to decide which one to make-they both look so good!)
Hi Anya, both of the cakes you are asking about do not require a syrup because the puree adds plenty of moisture and serves as a syrup as well. Both are very good. The strawberry is probably the most loved but both very very good 🙂
Hi Natasha
I would love to try this cake. Unfortunately i have 3 8inch round pans instead of 9inch. Can you suggest what i could do with the pans that i currently have?
Hi Joanna, I haven’t tried but here is a really great resource on how to adapt baking recipes going from the 9″ to the 8″. You may need to do some adaptation since if I’m doing the math correctly, three 8-inch pans will be about 15% larger in volume.
I made this cake for my son’s 7th birthday and it turned out amazing. There was a complete silence when people were eating this cake :), everybody loved it.
thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! When everyone’s silent you know it’s a winner. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review! 🙂
Delicious and really easy to make! I like that the cake isn’t too sweet. The refreshing taste of mangoes really comes out in this cake. The presentation is gorgeous as well. Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome Enny! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe as much as I do. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Hi Natasha, could you please specify the exact size (in cm) of baking form that you are using? And another question – for how many persons is this cake?
Thank you in advance for your answer. Lucie
Hi Lucie, I have a link to the cake pans I used in the recipe above in the first step. The serving size really depends on how thick you slice each piece. I would say 8 to 12 servings.
Hi Natasha, thank you for your answer. Could you please specify for me how many grams of butter and powdered sugar use for the Cream Cheese Frosting? Thanks. Lucie.
Lucie, butter amount was 226 grams and 312 grams of powdered sugar 😀
Hi Lucie, I have a link to the cake pans I used in the recipe above in the first step. The serving size really depends on how thick you slice each piece. I would say 8 to 12 servings.
Hey
Can I substitute the granulated sugar for powdered sugar in the cake? If yes, does the quantity remain the same ?
Hi Shagufta, I have never tried or seen this sponge cake made with powdered sugar and I don’t think it will work with whipping the eggs.
Can I decrease the amount of the sugar? we not a fan of sweet but mild sweet will be nice, I love your cake and want to make it 🙂
Hi Ann, if it helps, this is not an overly sweet cake. Most European desserts are less sweet than American desserts. The frosting will be a little more loose with less powdered sugar so you can cut back and then see if the flavor consistency is ok for you without adding the additional powdered sugar.
Hi Natasha,
The cake looks delicious and I cannot wait to make it! I am wondering if I can make use the same ingredients and amount to make cupcakes? Thanks!
HI Zoe, this sponge cake is not ideal in a muffin tin. Since it does not have any oil or butter in the batter, it will stick to a muffin tin and to cupcake liners.
Can i halve this receipe?
Hi Divya, that should work great, it would just be a fairly short cake but you could make half the recipe and just bake in a single pan.
Natasha – My daughter and I made this cake together and it’s wonderful! The delicate mango flavor and the slight tang of cream cheese are so delicious together and it looked every bit as good as your pictures! I worried that it would be hard to cut through the mango slices, but even that was easy (and the sponge cake holds together perfectly even though it is so light!).
With only three of us eating the cake, I decided to freeze part of it. Today, I pulled it out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter all afternoon and we had cake for an early dinner. It was every bit as good as the first day we served it!
Thanks so much for spending your time teaching us your fun recipes and tricks of the trade!
It’s my pleasure Laurie! I’m glad to hear how much you and your family enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
Hi Natasha, I want to make this cake for a wedding (in days) I’m having trouble finding mangoes. What other fruit would you suggest that could work, texture and look wise?
Also, what do you recommend for storing it overnight? We are a few degrees (°C) below freezing here and wonder if the garage would be okay for the cake?
Hi Lydia, I would suggest using a variety of fruit and maybe make this kiwi berry cake instead since you will need a different topping anyways wihtout the mango. If your garage is cold like a refrigerator, it should be just fine to store in the garage away from any heat sources 🙂