Creamy, Mango, Mess of Yum!

Not exactly a traditional Christmas Cake and doesn't really fit with the 'healthy' theme BUT if I listen to my hippy Doctor (and I rarely do but in this case I agree) if it is going to make me happy it is probably good for me! Therefor this Creamy, mangoy, mess of yummy simply MUST be good for me!

I made up this recipe after years of searching for THE Mango cake. It was several years ago, on a dark and stormy night. Ok it wasn't dark nor stormy but it was in fact the best cake I have ever tasted and so far this is recipe is the closest I have come to replicating it.

P.S This was the fastest I've seen a Christmas cake walk off the plate! An absolute treasure.

Ingredients

Sponge: Thanks Maggie Fulton!
3 eggs, seperated
pinch of salt
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup SR Flour
3 Tbls warm milk
1 tsp butter
Filling:
250g mascarpone cheese
300g thickened cream
2 Tbls icing sugar
1 egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla essence

Syrup:
3 Tbls Marmalade or light coloured jam of choice
½ cup water

Topping:
2 Large mangos, cheek flesh sliced ½- 1cm thick. Flesh from around the stone removed to best of your ability. It doesn’t matter so much what these look like.
200g packet of slivered almonds

Make the Sponge:

Grease one 22cm round cake tin and cut 1 sheet of baking paper of the same size to fit into the bottom. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180C.

In a clean, dry bowl add eggwhites and salt and using an electric mixer beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually pour in the sugar in an even stream until combined. Continue beating until thick and glossy. Add the egg yolks all at once and continue beating on a low setting to lightly combine.

Sift the flour into the egg mixture and fold through evenly with a spatula or large metal spoon. Combine the warm milk and butter and fold through quickly.

Pour the mixture into prepared tin and tilt to spread evenly. Place on a shelf in the middle of the oven and bake for 20-25minutes. To check if it is cooked, stick a skewer into the centre and if it comes out clean it is done.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before trying to decorate or the cream will slide off.

The Filling:

While the sponge is cooling we can get started on the filling. Combine mascarpone, cream, icing sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on high until thick and well combined. Refrigerate until ready for use.
In a small saucepan heat marmalade and water over medium heat and stir to dissolve.

To Decorate the Cake:

Slice the cooled sponge cake in half through the middle, making sure to make it as even a cut as possible. Spoon ¾ of the syrup over top of both halves of the sponge and allow to soak in. Choose which ½ will be the bottom of your cake and on top of that spoon ¼ of the cream mixture. On top of the cream place the un-uniform chunks of mango from around the stone and cover with another ¼ of the cream mixture.
Place the other half of the sponge on top of the mango and cream covered cake carefully. Pour the rest of the cream mixture on top and around the sides of the cake, spread evenly. Around the sides liberally press slivered almonds. They will stick to the cream.

Top with the slices of mango in any which way suits you! I like to lay one layer of slices flat to cover the cake and finish with a stack in the middle to look messy-chic. Glaze with the remaining syrup to make it nice and shiny.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.