Birthday Cake Club: Coconut Mango Chantilly Cake

Fluffy sponge and cloud-like cream pair up with sweet, fresh mango.

Hi Bakers!

I wasn’t born in April, but this is my dream birthday cake. The fluffiest sponge, creamy icing, and fresh, ripe mango. I would have saved it for June (my birthday month), but the mangoes are popping right now and I could not resist! With hints of fresh lime, a bit of tangy cream cheese in the frosting, and coconut milk for the sponge, you are going to love this light and refreshing cake. 

This recipe is a tropical riff on the Berry Rose Chantilly Cake from a couple of years ago. It is one of the most popular cakes on Bake Club. I used coconut milk in the sponge, nixed the rose water, and swapped the berries for mangoes. I hope you’ll embrace this version just as much as the first. 

I adore tropical fruit so much. Sweet, juicy, often tart, and always vibrant - eating them in my coastal mountain kitchen feels like a treat, like a mini mental beach vacation. Partly because I grew up eating pineapple, guava, and the sweetest watermelon visiting my family on Hawaii, but also ripe mango is a top 10 food. Its plump, not too juicy, soft and sweet flesh with just a hint of lime is *chef’s kiss*.

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Sponge cakes are my favorite. Those and simple loaf cakes. Okay, I like most cakes, obviously, but the combination of fresh fruit, whipped cream, and sponge cake is nearly unbeatable. So light and cloud-like, this is really the best way to eat fresh fruit with cake.

I love everything in the Angel Food-Chiffon-Genoise family. These types of cakes rely heavily on whipped eggs to create their airy, bouncing structure. Today, we are using a hot milk sponge cake. I’ve used it in a few different Bake Club recipes because it’s just that good and nearly foolproof. 

Where other sponge cakes are fussy, hot milk sponge cakes are very easy and forgiving. Hot milk sponge cakes use baking powder for extra insurance on fluff and won’t shrink on you after cooling. Because we are using the whole egg, the cakes are extra tender and full of flavor from the rich egg yolks.

Lastly, hot milk sponge cakes will stay soft and springy after being refrigerated. A strong characteristic for cakes that are paired with creamy frostings that need to be chilled. 

Whipped cream is arguably tricky for icing cakes. Over-whip and it’s too grainy. Over-work and it will start to break down. Too hot? Then it’s too soft to keep within the layers.

Adding softened cream cheese helps stabilize whipped cream, making it a dream to work with on cakes. The cream cheese provides a subtle tangy flavor while thickening the icing at the same time. Just make sure it is softened before mixing so it doesn't create lumps. 

Mangoes are in season here in British Columbia. Like pyramids of yellow and golden mangoes at every market. I prefer to use Ataulfo or “honey” mangoes. A bit of fresh lime juice and zest brightens the whole thing up.