Food: Mango Cake

My baby turned 7 months last week (31 weeks). She's wearing a pretty grey dress given by my dear friend Grace back in the US -- the same one who taught me how to make that amazing Strawberry Black Forest cake. The grey tulle/velvet dress she gave was a 3-6 month size but it fits Alyssa perfectly at 7 months. Hey, what can I do? She's a tiny baby.

-- And yes, I am doing a weekly photo for her -- like what I did when I was still pregnant.

My uber sweet Tita (as we call our aunts here in the Philippines) gave Alyssa a mango cake from Red Ribbon. I never thought much of Red Ribbon before, but I love, love, love their mango cake. I first tasted their mango cake when my mom bought one for merienda.

It is made of white chiffon, probably buttercream and topped with mango goodness.

I've been looking for a recipe and I found one by Elizabeth of the Asian in America blog. I have yet to try it, but here is her recipe. I don't know if it tastes like Red Ribbon's but here it goes.

She calls it the Manila Mango Chiffon Cake.


Chiffon Cake


Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted cake flour 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder 
• 7 eggwhites 
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (for the eggwhites) 
• 7 eggyolks 
• 1/2 cup corn oil 
• 3/4 cup mango nectar (canned or bottled nectar can be found in most groceries) 
• 1 teaspoon lemon flavoring 
• 1/2 cup of mango cubes (about half of a mango) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Sift together the dry ingredients: cake flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder. Set aside. 
3. In a separate bowl, at highest speed, beat the eggwhites and cream of tartar together. When there are high peaks and hardly any bubbles left, slowly add the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. When peaks form and whites are shiny, put aside. 
4. In another mixing bowl, make a well of all the dry ingredients. In the center add : oil, yolks, mango nectar, lemon flavoring. 
5. Beat with the mixer at medium speed till blended. This should only take about 3 to 5 minutes. 
6. Into the yellow mango batter, add the cubes of mango fruit, by folding with a spatula. 
7. Finally, fold the mango mix very gradually into the eggwhites. Try to do the folding in 3 batches, to prevent the eggwhites from dropping. 
8. Pour batter into a greased round tube pan. 
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or test for doneness. When done, cool on counter for a few minutes. Then loosen edges from the round tube pan, invert and take the cake out to cool. It should be completely cooled before adding any of the Mango icing. 

Mango Buttercream Icing (2 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1/4 cup mango nectar (canned or bottled, available in groceries) 
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar 
• 1 teaspoon lemon flavoring 
• 1/4 teaspoon golden yellow food coloring (optional) 
• 1/2 mango, cut in strips

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, at high speed, mix together the softened butter and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Cream and blend well till smooth. 
2. Gradually add in alternating order, a few tablespoons at a time: confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and mango nectar. Begin and end with the confectioners’ sugar. 
3. Add the lemon flavoring and blend well. 
4. Finally, add the golden yellow food coloring. Mix well. 
5. Refrigerate the icing till ready to use on cake. After icing the cake, garnish mango slices on top in a spiral manner.

--- Visit her blog for her step-by-step photos.