This mango mousse cake is an incredibly light and fresh Summer dessert that is perfect for a special occasion. The buttery, crunchy sablé base is topped with a light and airy mango mousse and finished with a creamy lime and mango curd.
150grMango Fleshcut into small cubes, to fill the cake
Mango Curd
125grMango Flesh
2Egg Yolks
20grCaster Sugar
15mlLime Juice
45grUnsalted Butter
1teaspoonLime Zestoptional
To finish the cake
1/2largeMangoor to taste
1/2 teaspoonLime Zest
Desiccated Coconut, to tasteoptional
Instructions
Coconut Sablé Crust
Place a large 10 inch / 26 cm cake ring over a small baking tray lined with baking paper (parchment paper) or baking mat.
Place the Egg Yolks and Icing Sugar in a small mixing bowl and whisk for a couple of minutes until thick. Whisk in the very soft Butter until fully incorporated (see note 1).
Add the Flour and Desiccated Coconut. Mix with a stiff spatula (or a hand mixer) until the mixture turns into a thick, slightly sticky dough.
Press the dough at the bottom of the cake ring, using the bottom of a cup or small offset spatula to pack it well into an even layer. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven on 160 degrees Celsius / 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden. Place the tray on a cooling rack and set aside to cool down completely. Transfer over a serving plate or board. Optionally, place a 5 cm / 2 inch high Acetate Strip (plastic cake collar) on the inside of the cake ring. Set aside.
Mango Mousse
Blend the mango flesh until completely smooth, using an immersion or regular blender. Place a fine mesh sieve over a small saucepan and pour the mango mixture through it. Discard any bits of un-mixed mango left in the strainer.
Whisk in the lime juice and sugar. Place on the stove and turn on medium low to medium heat. In the meantime, mix the gelatin powder and cold water in a small bowl. Leave for a couple of minute to bloom the gelatin; it should turn into a thick paste.
Remove the mango mixture from the heat once it starts to simmer, add the gelatin paste and lime zest and whisk well until the gelatin has been completely dissolved.
Transfer into a shallow pan (such as a brownie pan or loaf pan - see note 2) and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until it doesn't feel warm to the touch anymore.
Place the Cream in a large bowl and whip until you reach stiff peaks using an electric mixer (or with a stand mixer).
Take the mango mixture out of the fridge and transfer it a clean large bowl (see note 3). Add a little bit of the whipped cream to the bowl with the mango mixture and very gently whisk it in. Switch to a spatula and very gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream in 3 or 4 times. You should get a very light, creamy mixture.
Pour about half of the mango mousse over the sablé crust. Use a small offset spatula to spread it around into an even layer. Spread the mango cubes over the mango mousse, leaving about 2 cm (3/4 inch) around the edges clear. Top with the second half of the mousse. Spread it with the offset spatula to get an even layer.
Place in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours - preferably overnight. The mango mousse should have completely set before you add any toppings.
Mango Curd
Blend the mango flesh until completely smooth, using an immersion or regular blender. Optionally, pour the mango puree through a thin mesh sieve (see note 4) and discard any bits of un-mixed mango.
Place the egg yolks and sugar in a non-reactive, heavy based saucepan. Whisk to combine, then mix in the mango puree and lime juice.
Place on the stove and turn on low heat. Stir with a heat-proof rubber spatula or wooden spoon for 3 to 4 minutes to allow for the sugar to fully dissolve. It should start to very slightly thicken (see note 5).
Add the cubed butter a little bit at a time, stirring until completely melted in the mixture before adding more. Once all incorporated, continue to cook for another 5 to 8 minutes (more or less depending on the heat and size of saucepan). The curd should have thickened and coat the back of a spoon or spatula.
Pour the cooked mango curd into a clean bowl through a fine mesh sieve and remove any bits of cooked eggs. Mix in the lime zest and allow to cool down slightly, then pour over the set mango mousse layer. Smooth out the curd layer out using a small offset spatula. Chill for 2 hours or until set.
To finish the cake
Once both layers of mousse and curd have fully set, lift out the cake ring and gently remove the acetate strips.
Cut some mango flesh into very thin strips. Gently press them in the curd around the edges of the cake, swirling the strips around each other.
Finish with some lime zest and desiccated coconut sprinkled over the fresh mango ring.
Notes
Make sure the butter is at room temperature and soft or you will struggle to mix it in.
Using a wide shallow pan will allow for the mixture to cool down more quickly and evenly than inside a bowl (where the centre will remain warm for longer while the mixture on the sides will cool down more quickly).
If the mixture has started to set, whisk it well to loosen it before adding the whipped cream.
I personally like to keep some texture inside my curd so I used a rather thick mango puree. If you want a very smooth mango curd, you can blend the flesh for longer, add a little bit of water to it and / or pour it through a thin mesh sieve before using it.
Make sure not to go over medium heat or the eggs will cook too quickly and start to scramble, resulting in a curdle or lumpy curd. The curd should only simmer and never boil.