Mango Chiffon Cake with Whipped Mango Cream Frosting

Mango chiffon cake is light and tender, frosted with the most delicate mango whipped cream, and filled with creamy mango curd. Use the season’s best mangoes for the ultimate summer treat or use frozen mangoes so you can enjoy this delightful cake all year.

(Love mango desserts? Try mango bars and mango mousse. So good!)

Mangoes are one of my favorite summer fruits and mango chiffon cake is one of my favorite desserts to make with them.

Let’s get to it.

Why you’ll love this Filipino mango cake

• Soft and tender. The sponge cake layers are so soft and tender, a joy to eat!

• Airy frosting. And they are complemented by an equally light and airy mango frosting made of whipped cream and mango puree. 

• Mango is the star. Mangoes have a subtle flavor but it shines through here.

• Tastes better homemade. If you’re a fan of the chiffon mango cakes from Red Ribbon and Goldilocks, dare I say you might find this homemade cake better!

Ingredients and baking tools

There are three components to this cake: the cake layers, the frosting and the filling. 

Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps though; I break down each one into manageable parts that’s easy and simple to follow.

Ingredients

You’ll need pantry staples like granulated sugar, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find the full ingredient list.

A few things to note:

• Cake flour — this helps give the cake that soft and tender crumb. If you don’t have cake flour, you can easily make your own by mixing all purpose flour and cornstarch.

• Canola oil — this is what I use because this is what we use for cooking. But you can use any flavorless oil like vegetable oil.

• Eggs — we use large eggs in this recipe, which we separate. To make it easier, separate the yolks from the whites while they’re still cold then leave on the counter so they can come to room temperature.

• Cream of tartar — this is what helps stabilize the egg whites and what helps us get stiff peaks. I alway use cream of tartar but if you don’t have it, you can use 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe.

• Heavy cream — this is called differently in different countries but for best results, choose cream that has milk fat content between 36 and 40%. If not available, whipping cream (35%) will also work in a pinch.

• Mango puree — I usually use store-bought mango puree. You want to make sure it’s pure mango and doesn’t have added sugar or other ingredients. If using fresh ripe mangoes, you can use your blender or food processor to puree the mango flesh then strain to remove any fibers left behind.

• Mango curd — I make mango curd and use that for filling the cakes. Alternatively, you can use fresh ripe mango slices, or even mango marmalade.

Baking tools

You’ll need 3 9-inch round cake pans. Alternatively, you can use 3 8-inch square pans. You can find more information on pan substitutions here.

I also like using my stand mixer when making the meringue, but an electric handheld mixer will work too.

Step-by-step photos

Mango chiffon cake

Pre-heat your oven to 325F and line the bottom of 3 9-inch round pans with parchment paper. Do not grease. 

Run a thin sharp knife along the sides of each cake and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then un-mold and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Mango whipped cream frosting

Pour a packet of unflavored gelatine into cold water. Do not stir. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow it to bloom. 

Assembly

(The layers are filled with mango curd. You also have the option fill the cake with fresh mango slices instead.)

Meringue masterclass

I’ve learned over the years that how you handle egg whites really make or break chiffon cakes — they affect not only the height but also the cake’s texture. 

So I always make sure:

• Egg whites are room temperature. They whip better and result to a more stable meringue.

• But separate eggs while still cold. While you need your egg whites at room temperature, it’s easier to separate the eggs while they’re still cold. This way too, you can better avoid getting bits of egg yolks in your egg whites accidentally.

• Properly whip the egg whites stiff. You want it glossy but on the brink of turning matte.

• Everything must be grease-free. You need to make sure that your bowl and whisk are dry, clean and oil-free. So it’s better to use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic bowls because plastic has a tendency to hide traces of oil in it.

• Add sugar gradually. I do about a teaspoon at a time then allow several seconds to pass before adding again. Ideally, you want sugar to dissolve before adding the next teaspoon. A quick test would be to rub some meringue between your fingers. If you still feel significant grains of sugar in there, you should keep going.

• Stay on low-medium speed. Don’t go higher than medium speed (using my KitchenAid stand mixer, I stay on speed 3) when whipping your egg whites. It takes longer to get stiff peaks but this results to a more stable meringue that won’t significantly deflate or collapse after baking.

• Fold the egg whites into the batter. Careful not to over mix – you don’t want to deflate the egg whites and lose all the air that you managed to whip up.

(Wondering what to do with those leftover egg yolks? Check out this delicious collection of leftover egg yolk recipes.)

Troubleshooting guide

Issue	Likely Cause/s	Possible Solution/s
Cakes deflated or collapsed significantly after baking	Egg whites not stable	This means air bubbles collapsed after baking. Stay on low speed and add sugar a little at a time for a more stable meringue.
Cakes did not rise	Oven temperature too low	If your oven temperature is too low, your cakes will not rise properly. Use an oven thermometer to make sure you’re baking at the correct temperature.
	Pans were greased	Don’t grease the pan, especially the sides, as the cake batter needs to cling to the sides to help it rise.
Cakes are dry, dense and rubbery	Batter was over-mixed	Avoid over mixing the batter because doing so results to heavy and dense cakes.
	Cakes were over-baked	Over-baking causes cakes to lose moisture and become dry and rubbery. Check for doneness as soon as the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
	Oven temperature too high	Use an oven thermometer to make sure you’re baking at the correct temperature.
Frosting is runny	Cream doesn’t have enough milk fat	For best results, use heavy cream (at least 36% milk far). Whipping cream (35%) will also work but will result in softer peaks.
	Ingredients too warm	For best results, make sure your ingredients are chilled before using, as well as your whisk and bowl.

Recipe FAQs

More light and airy chiffon recipes

Looking for more chiffon desserts? Check these out:

I love making this mango cake recipe. It’s refreshing, tropical, not too sweet, and so good! Mango with cream is a match made in cake heaven.

Looking for mango cream cake? Check out this reader favorite mango graham cake (mango float).

Want chiffon cheesecake? This Japanese cheesecake will satisfy your cravings.

Happy baking!

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