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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
Filed Under
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 made this cake and it is just perfect, Thank you so much!
You are very welcome, Loris. Glad you loved it!
Hi Natasha I always love your recipe and I did try the lemon bar the other day it was amazing. My husband love it so much . And it is my first baking dish. 😍 thank you for the knowledge you shared this mango cake is in my list now 🥰
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Nisha! I’m glad it was a hit with your family!
Hello Natasha ☀️ can I also make this cake with whipped cream? and how to store / for how long? Thank you
Hi Edith, I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure how it would hold up with the puree. If you make it with only whipped cream, it would probably be best to enjoy it the day it is made unless you stabilize the cream with something else.
Hi Natasha, I tried this cake , taste was good but I was doing layering with mango puree and creame then cake layer was slippery and moving left n right. Plz tell me how I can fix??
Hi Mani, that can happen if you put too much mango mixture between the layers.
a delicious cake, baked for a test before our birthday (me, son and mother in law on same day-june 23rd 😁). I need advice, should the sponge cake be cut after it is completely cool?
Hi Edith, yes, it’s best to cut it after it has cooled.
Hi, I was wondering if I could add some mango puree to the cake batter itself. I just don’t want to make the batter too liquidy.
Hi Nina, I haven’t tried that in the batter itself. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Do you know- is it possible to bake and assemble the basic part of the cake ahead of time and freeze….and then assemble the rest (cream cheese frosting, toppings, etc) the day you want to serve it? We have a hectic weekend and so I need to make something ahead of time. Thank you-
Hi Melissa, I haven’t tried freezing this cake assembled so I’m not sure how the mango puree or decoration would look/hold up after freezing. I have however frozen the sponge cake plain by itself. Let it come to room temp then cover loosely but fully with plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months on a flat surface, making sure you don’t place anything over the top of it. I hope that helps!
can I use a hand mixer?
Hi Amy, if using an electric hand mixer, beat an additional 2 minutes since hand mixers are not as efficient in whipping as stand mixers. I hope that helps! 🙂
I just made this beautiful and delicious cake. I would love to make it again but the frosting came out way too liquidy and didn’t want to stay firm even after I put it in the fridge for some time. I had to mix the frosting extra 4-5 min because there were lumps of cream cheese. Is that normal? Should I use any specific cream cheese?
Hi Aggie, make sure to use block-style cream cheese for all baking and ensure that the butter and cream cheese are softened but not too soft. Each should be at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours. If it’s overly soft, it will result in liquidly frosting.
Thank you, Natacha!
I think that was the problem, cheese and butter were too soft.
I will make it again this weekend! 🤞🏻
Hi natasha can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar?
You still need powdered sugar aside from the granulated sugar in the recipe
I made the cake again last weekend and it was just perfect! Sooo delicious! Thank you!!! I will make it again and again!
That is fantastic feedback! Thank you too for your wonderful review, we appreciate you sharing that with us.
This is excellent! My kids request it for their birthdays now!
Enjoyed making the cake, esp the decorating part. Had some challenges with the cake, 1st batter didn’t rise 😅
Hi Amery, that is usually due to under beating eggs and sugar. I suggest watching our sponge cake recipe and reading through the Troubleshooting Section of the post.
Hi! Excited to make this cake for a friend’s birthday cake! Using this recipe for 3 6” cake pans that are 2” tall each. How should I modify the recipe?:)
Hi Beatrix, I haven’t tried, but here is a really great resource on how to adapt baking recipes going from the 9″ to the 6″. You may need to make some adaptations.
Hey Natasha. This looks amazing.
Just had quick question.
Can i use frozen or canned mango for the purreed filling?
Hi Hamalik! I think that would be a good substitute for the puree, just be sure to taste the puree and add sugar to taste – sometimes frozen can be tart. You will definitely want to use fresh on top though. I hope you love it!
Hello! I am so excited to make this, but was wondering if they turn out just as well as cupcakes? Thank you!
Hi Christina, I honestly haven’t tried making this recipe as cupcakes to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
This cake was absolutely delicious and easy to make. I also made some mango whipped cream to go with it and it was a huge hit! But I would not recommend making them as cupcakes. Unfortunately the cake pulled away from the cupcake liners during baking. Thank you for this delicious recipe though!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Will the mangos on top turn color by the second or 3rd day
Hi Gary, the topping is best served the day it is made – as it will be most vibrant in color. The leftover portion was a couple of shades darker the next day, it was still pretty and not really brown. Air is the biggest culprit in making fruits/ vegetables brown.
Hello! The recipe is great. I want to try it. Can you please in grams also write it. Thanks!
Hi Andra, you can convert it to grams just click Jump to recipe, then click Metric to convert it.
Should i still bake it in 350F even if I will halve the recipe? Also how many minutes should I set it?
Hi Vern, yes, that will not change. Cook time should not change by much but I would watch it closer to the end. Depending on your pan size.
Hi Natasha!
I only have a 9.5” springform pan here. Would that be okay?
Hi Bri, I think that will work too. If you give that a try, please share with us how it goes.
Hi Natasha!
I only have 9” springform pan here. Would that be okay if I use that pan?
oh, it is a 9.5” springform pan*
Hi Bri, that would work.
Hi, Natasha!
I will be making this cake for my fiancé next week. However, my oven is too small to bake two cakes at the same time. I’ve read the comments and I’ve seen that
1.) when I use only one round pan, it will not be as fluffy and tall and;
2.) i should bake the batter mixture right away or it will affect the cake
Therefore I thought that maybe I could divide the ingredients for the sponge cake and make two sets of the batter mixture so that the batter will not sit for too long? What do you think?
Thank you for sharing this recipe, btw! I am confident that my fiance will love this since he’s a fan of mangoes 😊
Hi Bri, I bet halving this recipe could work! I hope you love this recipe!
Hi again, Natasha!
About the baking powder. How can I accurately halve it since it is 1/2 tsp?
Hi Bri, I would measure it to 1/4 tsp.
Can I use a 9” springform pan given that I will still halve the recipe?
Hi Bri, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Thanks for sharing your recipe. Very nice You’re great 👍 Sister Ji
You’re very welcome.