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.
Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat egg yolks, mango puree, canola oil, lemon zest and vanilla extract on high speed until incorporated (about a minute).
Set aside.
Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (if using the same mixers, ensure they are clean, dry and grease-free), beat egg whites and cream of tartar on low-medium speed until you reach soft peaks.
This takes me about 1-2 minutes.
Gradually add sugar (about a teaspoon at a time).
Beat until the egg whites are very stiff (about 5 minutes).
Go back to your egg yolk mixture and sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Stir until incorporated.
Then fold your egg whites into your batter in thirds.
Gently fold until each addition is incorporated.
Transfer the batter equally into your 3 pans.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
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.
In the meantime, using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip chilled heavy cream, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until you reach soft peaks.
Get your gelatine and microwave for 10 seconds. Whisk until smooth (it shouldn’t be warm to the touch). With the mixer still on, gradually pour it in a steady stream into your whipped cream. Continue whipping until the gelatine is incorporated and you reach stiff peaks.
Add chilled mango puree.
Whip until thick and creamy.
Assembly
(The layers are filled with mango curd. You also have the option fill the cake with fresh mango slices instead.)
Place one cake on a platter or cake turntable smooth side down. Using a piping bag fitted with your favorite large piping tip, pipe a border around the cake to act as a dam so your mango curd won’t ooze out later. Then fill the center of your cake (inside your little dam) with mango curd. It’s important that the height of the mango curd is equal to the height of your border so that your cake doesn’t sag in the middle.
Place the other cake on top and repeat. Finally, place the third cake smooth side up, frost and decorate. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!
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
Chiffon cake is a kind of sponge cake known for its light and tender texture.
Unlike sponge cakes, which can be made with or without butter, chiffon cakes are always made with oil.
They’re also unique in that they’re leavened with egg whites beaten to stiff peaks, which is then folded into the batter, for that light and fluffy texture they are known for.
I love Philippine carabao mangoes when I can get them and here in Canada, we prefer Ataulfo mangoes.
But the answer really is whatever is available to you. Different varieties have different flavor profiles but mangoes are mangoes and they are delicious!
Some mangoes are more delicate than others though, so if you need a more intense mango flavor, you can add a few drops of mango extract.
You’ll know your chiffon cake is done baking if a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
The cake should also be lightly springy to the touch. If cake batter sticks to your finger or doesn’t produce a bit of resistance, it’s not done.
Store leftover cake covered in the fridge. It should keep for up to 5 days.
While I haven’t tried freezing the frosted cake, you can choose to freeze the cake layers before assembly.
Wrap each one in plastic wrap then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Bring down to the fridge to thaw the night before you plan on using them.
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!
Did you make this mango chiffon cake recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
Mango Chiffon Cake with Whipped Mango Cream Frosting
Ingredients
For the Chiffon Cake:
- 5 egg yolks from large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup mango puree room temperature
- ½ cup canola oil you can substitute any flavorless oil
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 egg whites from large eggs room temperature
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the Whipped Mango Cream Frosting:
- 1 packet unflavored gelatine equivalent to 1 tablespoon
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 cups heavy cream chilled
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup mango puree chilled, see notes
Assembly:
- mango curd can substitute with fresh ripe mango slices
Instructions
For the 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.
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat egg yolks, mango puree, canola oil, lemon zest and vanilla on high speed until incorporated (about a minute). Set aside.5 egg yolks from large eggs, ¾ cup mango puree, ½ cup canola oil, zest from 1 lemon, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (if using the same mixers, ensure they are clean, dry and grease-free), beat egg whites and cream of tartar on low-medium speed until you reach soft peaks (about 1-2 minutes).8 egg whites from large eggs, ½ tsp cream of tartar
- Gradually add sugar (about 1 teaspoon at a time) and beat until the egg whites are very stiff (about 5 minutes).¼ cup granulated sugar
- Sift cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into your egg yolk mixture. Stir until incorporated.2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour, 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt
- Then fold your egg whites into your batter in thirds. Gently fold until each addition is incorporated.
- Transfer the batter equally into your 3 pans.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, run a sharp knife along the sides of each cake and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Then unmold and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Whipped Mango Cream Frosting:
- Pour 1 packet of unflavoured gelatine into cold water. Do not stir. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow it to bloom.1 packet unflavored gelatine, ¼ cup cold water
- In the meantime, using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until you reach soft peaks.2 cups heavy cream, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Get your gelatine and microwave for 10 seconds. Whisk until smooth (it shouldn't be warm to the touch anymore).
- With the mixer still on, gradually pour it in a steady stream into your whipped cream.
- Continue whipping until the gelatine is incorporated and you reach stiff peaks.
- Add mango puree and whip until thick and creamy.1 cup mango puree
Assembly:
- Place one cake on a platter or cake turntable smooth side down.
- Using a piping bag fitted with your favorite large piping tip, pipe a border around the cake to act as a dam so your mango curd won’t ooze out later.
- Fill the center of your cake (inside your little dam) with mango curd. It’s important that the height of the mango curd is equal to the height of your border so that your cake doesn’t sag in the middle.mango curd
- Place the other cake on top and repeat.
- Finally, place the third cake smooth side up, frost and decorate.
- Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- 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 (or frozen mangoes), you can use your blender or food processor to puree the mango flesh then strain to remove any fibers left behind.
- I use this recipe for mango curd. You make this up to 4 weeks ahead. You can also use mango slices as filling instead.
- See post for lots of baking tips, a troubleshooting guide, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Harini
Hello Jolina
thank you so much for the amazing recipe. if i have to substitute Gelatin with Agar agar for the whipped cream recipe, what will be the proportion .
kindly help
thank you
Jolina
Hi Harini, unfortunately I don’t use agar agar. However, I did find this article for you: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-agar-agar/ Hope it helps!
Johanne Morales
Hi, I would like try to make a rolled cake using this recipe. Do you know how much should I use to adjust to make for a 12 x 16inch pan that’s 0.5inch thick? Thanks!
Jolina
Hi Johanne, I haven’t tried making this into a roll cake so don’t know the measurements. Others might have so hopefully they can chime in with tips!
Cai
Made this and the cake was so good! Thank you for sharing.. just wanted to know how to make the icing more stable since when adding the puree, the icing becomes watery..
Jolina
Hi Cai, when making the frosting make sure your heavy cream is properly chilled and your gelatine is bloomed properly. I don’t usually chill the mango puree but chilling it a little might help in case your kitchen gets very warm.
Elaine
I made your recipe and it was a very big cake! The icing was not enough for the whole cake but it was delicious and everyone had seconds. Next time I will double the icing or half the batter. Thanks for the recipe.
Jolina
Hi Elaine, glad you liked it!
Joy
I’ve made this recipe a few times and they were great. But this time I made it when the weather was really hot. And my frosting split, into like wet scrambled eggs. Any ideas why? I also halve the recipe.
Jolina
Hi Joy, whipped cream does tend to split and break if the weather is hot and humid. A blogger friend of mine has a tip: try placing a bowl of ice water underneath your bowl of cream then whip. That might help things along.
Min
Can I use two pans instead of 3? How long should I bake them if two pans will be used?
Jolina
Hi Min! I always bake this in 3 pans. It will definitely be too much batter if you just use 2. If you want to use different-sized pans, the baking time will be different so watch out for that. Here’s a great pan conversion resource: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cake-pan-sizes/
Jayz
Hi, I don’t have cream of tartar at home, can I substitute it with something else? Thanks in advance!
Jolina
Hi Jayz! Here’s a great article I found: https://www.thespruceeats.com/cream-of-tartar-substitute-1388882 Hope it helps
Rosana Checchia-Maio
Picked your recipe after a few hours of research on the request of my son for a mango cake. I have never even eating a mango cake before nor made whipped cream icing! Glad I chose this one! Vanilla cake is tough to get moist but this cake was moist and fluffy like a jiggly cloud. One thing I would change would to make the icing a little sweeter. The cake is so light and the mango is a mild flavour so a little pop of sweet would be great
Jolina
Hope the birthday celebrant was happy with his cake 🙂 And yes, the frosting is forgiving and easy to adjust to your liking.
Mary-Suzette
I’m not sure if you’ll see this in time, but have you tried adding mangoes and/or mango puree to the chiffon cake batter?
Jolina
Hi Mary-Suzette! No I haven’t tried.
Joy
I’m making this cake for mother’s day. My whipped cream frosting looks very runny.. will it stiffen up as it chill or will it stiffen if whip it more ? I’ve never made a chiffon cake and whipped cream frosting before so it makes me nervous. Though the chiffon cake looks and taste very pillowy now.
Jolina
Hi Joy! You should get to soft peaks pretty quickly, within the first 5 minutes using a stand mixer. Then just continue whipping until your frosting stands upright on your beater when you hold it up. Careful not to over beat it else the cream will curdle. It should be creamy and pillowy as well.
Jan
Would mango juice work in lieu of mango puree? Or would that be too runny? What brand did you use? We don’t really have mango puree in our stores here except for the ones mixed with vegetables for babies. I could order off amazon but since we do have mango juice in hand would that still work?
Jolina
Hi Jan! I always use mango puree so can’t say for certain. But you’re right, it might be too runny; the puree is thicker. I usually buy the Philippines brand.
Jan
Thank you! Ours turned out great. Did have to tweak a little but my family loved it!!
Becca
Hi, would it work if I half the recipe to make a smaller cake?
Thabks
Jolina
Hi Becca! On the recipe card, you can adjust the serving size. Right now it’s on 12, you can slide that up or down as needed and the ingredient list will adjust automatically. Enjoy!
Jamie
I used your chiffon cake recipe and it’s fantastic. I have 8-inch round cake pans, and they turned out quite thick. But my layer cake ended up looking like a tall one. Delicious flavor; you get a subtle hint of the zest. I used orange zest since that’s what I had on hand and it was tasty. I’ve had trouble in the past with chiffon cake, but your recipe gave me the best chiffon I’ve ever made. Thank you! It froze well and it has been spongey and soft after 2 days in the fridge too.
Any help on reducing the mixture to make just one cake layer would be great. I’m not very good at that and mess things up a lot.
Jolina
Hi Jamie! Glad you liked it 🙂 I’ve only ever used these measurements so not sure how to make a smaller cake. You can try to half the recipe or use bigger pans for a slightly shorter layer cake.
Shilpi
I think there is a step missing. How are we incorporating the wet and dry mixture?
Jolina
Hello again! You are absolutely correct. I updated the recipe. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Shilpi
Hi Jolina,
For how long can I store the unfrosted chiffon cakes in the freezer/ fridge?
Jolina
Hi Shilpi, I usually only chill the cake wrapped in glad wrap for a few hours before I frost it. I’ve never frozen them before so I’m not sure. I did find this article that might help you: https://www.thekitchn.com/quick-tip-freeze-prebaked-cake-82245