Mango Chiffon Cake with Buttercream Frosting

This Filipino Mango Chiffon Cake with Buttercream Frosting is a classic chiffon cake flavored with mango juice. A light, basic buttercream frosting fills the three-layered cake and can be spread on top and the sides. Fresh, fully ripened mango slices garnish the top. This cake is an Asian in America recipe from a past blog post.The buttercream frosting was inspired by The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion All-Purpose Cookbook. Serves 4 to 6.

Course: Dessert, Merienda, Snacks

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Filipino Mango Chiffon Cake Buttercream Frosting

Servings: people

Calories: 802kcal

Author: Asian in America recipe

Equipment

Round cake pans: 8 inch or 9 inch; Bundt cake pan; or Round tube pan
Round melon baller to shape mango balls.; Wilton pastry bag and decorator tip # 12

Ingredients

For the Mango Chiffon Cake

2 cups cake flour sifted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
7 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar to add to egg whites
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup mango juice pureed from fresh, ripe Ataulfo mangoes or use canned juice

For Buttercream Frosting

5 1/2 Tablespoons (2/3 stick, 2 5/8 ounces) unsalted butter softened at room temperature
1/3 cup (2 ounces) vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 cups organic confectioners' sugar, sifted (powdered sugar)
2 teaspoons white vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk or heavy cream

For Cake topping:

2 whole fresh, ripe mangoes Ataulfo variety; shaped into balls 1-inch diameter using a melon baller.

Instructions

To bake the cake:

Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Grease three 8-inch cake pans and set aside.
Sift together in a large bowl the dry ingredients by whisking with a wire whisk 2 to 3 times: Cake flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder. Set aside.
Using a cake stand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl, at the highest speed. After about 3 to 5 minutes, when there are no more bubbles left in the whites, add the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar gradually. Add a few tablespoons at a time.
When peaks form and whites are shiny, turn off the cake mixer and set the whites aside.
In the large mixing bowl of dry ingredients, make a well in the center. To the well in the middle, add the oil, yolks, 3/4 cup mango juice. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for about 4 to 5 minutes till blended and batter is smooth.
Using a large rubber spatula, gradually fold the mango-yolks batter into the beaten egg whites. Fold in 3 batches slowly - this prevents the batter from dropping.
Pour batter into greased cake pans. For this cake, I used three 8-inch metal cake pans. Bake at 325 F for 35 to 40 minutes. Then at 350 F for 10 minutes.
Test the cake if done by piercing the tip of a small sharp knife in the middle. If knife tip is clean, cake is done.
Remove cake pans from the oven. Allow cakes to cool on counter for 5 to 10 minutes. When pans are cool enough to handle, loosen cakes on sides with a sharp knife. Turn over and cool on cake racks for 40 minutes to 1 hour. Cake layers must be completely cool before adding the frosting.

To make the Buttercream frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, using a cake mixer, beat the butter, shortening and salt together. Beat for about 2 to 3 minutes till mixture is fluffy.
Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, half a cup at a time. Alternate a teaspoon of the milk with each half cup of the sugar. Add the vanilla in between adding the sugar and milk. By the time you have finished adding the entire amount of confectioners' sugar and milk, the frosting would have turned thick and have a creamy consistency for frosting.
The frosting should be able to hold its own on the cake and not be drippy. If it is still liquid-like, add half a cup of confectioners' sugar and keep mixing with the cake mixer.
This will yield about 4 to 4 1/2 cups of frosting. Cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before frosting the cake.

To frost the cake:

Fill a pastry decorating bag with the buttercream frosting. Using a Wilton Tip # 12 pipe a decorative trim around the edge of the bottom of the first layer.
Using a metal spatula, fill the top of the first cake layer with frosting. Spread it evenly.
Place the second cake layer on top of the first. Spread frosting evenly. Repeat with a third layer.
Ice the cake all over starting at the top with about 2 inches of frosting. Then frost the sides with about 1-inch thick of icing. Use the spatula to make the frosting smooth all around.
Use the pastry bag with the Wilton tip # 12 to pipe a decorative trim around the edge of the top layer.
Decorate the top of the cake with round-shaped mango balls.
Refrigerate the cake till ready to slice and serve.

Nutrition