Mango Sponge Cake

Mango is a polarizing ingredient – I have met people who cannot get enough of it and people who actually do not like it at all. 

Mango has a great scent and amazing flavor, but some people simply do not like it. Although it really brings an exotic and tropical feeling to the plate, the fresh fruit for some is a big NOPE.

Still, I have a few friends who do not appreciate mango, yet every time I serve them my mango sponge cake, they cannot get enough of it!

Why is this recipe special?

This is an effortless recipe with just seven ingredients. This is basically a plain sponge cake, that is enriched with mango puree and cardamom. You can serve it with some whipped cream, whipped cream cheese, or some more mango puree on top. 

It’s the ultimate blend of fruity and sweet with just a hint of spice to tone it down for anyone who doesn’t like the typical sweet mango flavor.

If you give this easy and delicious recipe a try, I’m willing to bet you’ll fall in love with it, too. So let’s get baking!

How Do I Make My Mango Cake?

In the past I did not love to make the fruit based cakes, simply because I found the measurements hard to follow. Fruits can be tricky, you know.

It is not that obvious with citrus fruits, because you can always use them a bit at the time, but with most of other fruits, it can be challenging.

You see, baking is more or less about science and precise measurements. But with the fresh fruits, precise and regular measurements can be hard to achieve.

Is the medium banana in your hand really medium? Is this pineapple sweet enough or you need to add more sugar? Is the mango ripe enough?

See, all these little things could either ruin your cake or make it better, depending on which side you err on. And with hundreds of varieties of mango, these concerns become even more confusing. 

Personally, I like to use cooked mango. So far, that has been the best thing I could try. I cook my mango briefly, just to tenderize it a bit and then blend it with an immersion blender into a smooth puree.

This method has never failed me. With the fresh mango I cannot mash it perfectly and somehow I always end up with chunks of mango in my cake, but not with the cooked mango.

Now to be clear, chunks of mango does not have to be an issue, but I like my cake to be perfectly velvety. 

And if you end up loving this recipe, why not check out my other recipe for chocolate mango cake too?

Choosing the Right Mango

Depending on who you ask, there are over 1000 varieties of mango in the world – though everyone seems to agree there are more than 500 – with the majority of the fruit coming from the India. They also grow in South and Southeast Asia, Mexico, as well as parts of Central America and South America.

Depending on the time of a year and the region they come from, mangoes are available in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.

It does matter which kind of mangos you use for this recipe.

But before we start with picking the right ones for our purposes, here are some of the mangos you may encounter:

• Ataulfo mangos: These mangos are sweet and have a creamy flavor. They have smaller seeds and more flesh, and a very vibrant yellow color. You will know they are perfectly ripe when they have golden color and small wrinkles. 

• Francis mangos: Choose these if you like rich, spicy and sweet flavors. They have yellow skin and are usually oblong or shaped like a letter S. They are ripe when their green color fades away.

• Haden mangos: These are bright red with green and yellow overtones. They are usually medium or large with oval shapes and ripe when their green color begins to turn yellow. Choose these if you want rich flavor with aromatic overtones.

• Keitt mangos: These are oval shaped, and medium to dark green with a pink blush. Their skin will stay green even when fully ripe. If you want sweet and fruity flavor, these are amazing. 

• Kent mangos: Kent mangos come in a large and oval shape. They are dark green with a red blush. You will know they are ripe when yellow overtones or dots begin to spread over skin. They have sweet and rich flavor.

• Tommy Atkins mangos: These have a mild and sweet flavor. These have a dark red blush with some orange, green, and yellow accents. The only way to test them is to feel them, because they do not change color. 

 To help you even more in choosing mangos, follow these guidelines to pick the right ones:

1. Touch and feel the mango. The ripe mangos will be soft to the touch, just like avocados and peaches. 
2. Inspect the mango visually. Choose a mango that is plump and rounded, especially around the stem. Sometimes ripe mango may have freckles or spots which is perfectly normal. 
3. Smell the mangos near the stem. Ripe mangos will have a strong fruity scent near the stem. A ripe mango may smell like melon, sometimes with a hint of pineapple and even a little carrot thrown in.
4. Look at the color. As mentioned above, check the color for each mango type as described. 

How to Make a Mango Sponge Cake

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, and baking powder.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar, and mango puree.

Note: To make the mango puree: Peel the mango and cut into pieces. Place in a saucepot and barely cover with water. Cook the mango for 4-5 minutes and puree using an immersion blender. 

Step 3

Fold in the flour mixture and add cardamom.

Stir until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the mango batter into an 8-inch springform pan lined with baking paper. You can also pour it in a pie plate if you want different edge shape, as I do here. Make sure to line the bottom of the pie plate with parchment paper and generously grease the sides with a butter.

Step 4

Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes.

Cool the cake completely before removing it from the spring form. If removing from a pie plate, you can invert it onto a plate, and then again invert it again onto a second plate. (This is fussy, but the nice edge is worth it.)

Slice the cake and serve. You can top it with whipped cream or cream cheese, and garnish with bits of chopped mango.

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