Mango Cake

Whoever said cake’s are ‘un-original’ desserts, are far from correct. Cakes are clearly one of the best desserts you could possibly prepare. The best (or my best) reasons as to why cakes make for the best dessert: (1) Right off the go, this cake can be any 1 of a million flavors that you would like. You could even create your very own flavor then and there. (2) Decor; this cake’s look is left entirely in your hands. Whether it be intricate and clean, or busy and bright, a cake looks beautiful no matter the amount. (3) Once complete, they make one beautiful photo. (4) You can feed an entire bunch of friends or family in just one dessert … sometimes you need two (like I did) if it becomes a flavor of everyone’s choice. And (5) their taste is sublime.

This past weekend I made a Mango Cake. Topped with a Maple-Cream Cheese frosting and some extra fruit slices, this cake made for the best breakfast (for 7), afternoon snack, and take home party favor (Our friends fell so in love, they took the entire second cake home with them for later, to Santa Monica, 45 minutes away, on a plate; that’s dedication). The outcome of this cake made me long for more cakes; prep and devouring. I already have cake flavors jotted down for my next one. Which make be sooner than we all know it.

Mango Cake
Mango:

• 1 pound chopped mango (usually about 3-4 cups)
• 2 tablespoon earth balance
• 1/2 cup agave
• 1 teaspoon ginger

Cake:

• 12 tablespoons Earth Balance (or 1 1/2 sticks butter)
• 1 cup organic sugar + 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups almond flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or maple syrup

Frosting:

• 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, soft
• 8 tablespoons Earth Balance (or 1 stick butter)
• 1 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

For the Mangos: Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add butter and mangos to skillet, drizzle with agave, spindle with ginger and salt. Heat for several minutes, until mangos look soft and cooked; stir continuously. Set aside.
For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Pre-grease 2 8-inch round cake pans (or 9-inch square); Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and agave until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing them completely before adding the next.
In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Sift together. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, alternating with the greek yogurt. Stir in the vanilla extract or maple syrup.
Fold in 1/2 of your skillet of mangos into the cake batter. Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes, testing with a toothpick, being sure it comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove from warm pan to a wire rack to resume cooling.
Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and confectioners’ sugar until well combined and fluffy. Mix in maple syrup and stir until combined.
Frost cakes. If you would like a two-layer lake, frost the top of one cake, then place the other on top of that. Then resume frosting both cakes that have now become one large one. Garnish cake with extra mango’s from your skillet. You can either place them on top, or if you have enough, outline the bottom of your cake with mango slices. I drizzled mine with an agave-brown sugar syrup. Mm!
For more desserts like these please visit www.withloverachel.com