Mango Mousse Cake

Total Time: 59 mins Preparation Time: 29 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 14
• 1/2 cup sifted cake flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, separated (room temp)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar, divided
• 2 (1/4 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 -5 large ripe mangoes
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup nonfat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Recipe

• 1 make sponge cake: preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 lightly butter bottom and side of a 10-inch springform cake pan.
• 3 line bottom of the pan with a circle of baking parchment or waxed paper.
• 4 dust side of the pan with flour and tap out excess.
• 5 in a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• 6 sift flour mixture onto a piece of waxed paper.
• 7 in a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at high speed, beat egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar for 4 to 6 minutes, until batter is pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon.
• 8 beat in vanilla.
• 9 beat egg whites at low speed until frothy.
• 10 gradually increase speed to high and continue beating soft peaks start to form.
• 11 one teaspoon at a time, gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating whites until they form stiff, shiny peaks.
• 12 scrape 1/3 of whites on top of beaten egg yolks.
• 13 resift 1/3 of flour mixture over whites and fold flour mixture and egg whites into egg yolk mixture, making sure to free any flour that may be clinging to side of the bowl.
• 14 one-third at a time, gently fold in remaining whites with 1/3 of resifted flour mixture.
• 15 do not overfold.
• 16 scrape batter into prepared pan.
• 17 bake cake for 8 to 12 minutes, until center springs back when gently touched.
• 18 cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
• 19 remove from pan and cool completely.
• 20 make the mango mousse: put water in a small heatproof cup.
• 21 sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand for 5 minutes to soften.
• 22 place cup with softened gelatin in a saucepan with enough water to come halfway up side of cup.
• 23 heat gelatin mixture in hot, not simmering water.
• 24 stir gelatin mixture frequently for 2 to 3 minutes, until gelatin granules dissolve completely and mixture is clear.
• 25 remove pan from heat.
• 26 leave cup containing gelatin mixture in hot water to keep gelatin warm until ready to use.
• 27 peel mangoes and cut fruit away from pit.
• 28 cut fruit into large chunks.
• 29 combine half of mango chunks with 1/2 cup of sugar in bowl of a food processor.
• 30 process mangoes for 40 to 60 seconds, until pureed.
• 31 transfer pureed mangoes to a large saucepan.
• 32 repeat with remaining mangoes and 1/2 cup of sugar.
• 33 cook the mango mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until warm.
• 34 remove saucepan from the heat.
• 35 add the gelatin mixture and vanilla and whisk until blended.
• 36 transfer mango mixture to a large bowl and cool to room temperature.
• 37 in a chilled large bowl, beat the heavy cream and sour cream until mixture forms soft peaks.
• 38 fold 1/3 of whipped cream into mango mixture to lighten it.
• 39 fold in remaining whipped cream.
• 40 assemble cake: remove side from a 10-by-3-inch springform pan.
• 41 trim a 12-inch cardboard circle so that it fits snugly within curved lip of bottom of springform pan.
• 42 reattach side of springform pan.
• 43 remove paper circle from bottom of cake.
• 44 spread raspberry jam in an even layer over top of cake.
• 45 place cake layer in bottom of prepared pan.
• 46 scrape mango mousse over cake layer and smooth it into an even layer.
• 47 cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• 48 unmold cake: using a portable blow dryer or damp very hot towel, carefully heat outside of springform pan until edge of mousse melts slightly.
• 49 release clamp on side of springform pan and gently lift it up and remove it from around side of the cake.
• 50 defrost cake in refrigerator for at least 3 hours, until ready to decorate.
• 51 decorate cake: spread toasted almonds on a piece of waxed paper.
• 52 set aside 28 of best almond halves to garnish cake.
• 53 lift cake up on cardboard cake circle, supporting bottom of cake in one hand.
• 54 scoop up almonds and gently press them against side of cake, working around cake until side is completely covered.
• 55 put cake on a serving plate.
• 56 in a chilled small bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at medium speed, beat cream with the sugar until stiff peaks begin to form.
• 57 fill a pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip (such as ateco#4) with whipped cream.
• 58 pipe 14 rosettes around top edge of cake.
• 59 garnish each rosette with 2 toasted almond slices.
• 60 refrigerate cake until ready to serve.
• 61 by lisa morley, chef and owner of a sweet affair in naples, florida, in the chocolatier recipe collection on the worldwideweb.