Frozen Mango-Cream Cakes

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Photo: Kirsten Strecker
Servings:
8

These chilled treats may bring back memories of chasing down the ice cream truck. Sweet mango joins tart citrus and rich cream in this inspired frozen mousse that's set atop a buttery macadamia crust. The resulting dessert will make kids and adults alike come running.

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • Vegetable-oil cooking spray

  • 1 ounce salted dry-roasted macadamia nuts (about ¼ cup)

  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

For the Mousse

  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice

  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1 scant tablespoon)

  • 2 firm but ripe mangoes, peeled (each about 1 pound)

  • ½ cup granulated sugar

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • ½ cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat inside of 8 ring molds (each about 2 inches high and 2 3/4 inches in diameter) with cooking spray. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  2. Make the crust: Pulse macadamia nuts and granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground. In a bowl, combine nuts, flour, and butter with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Spoon a generous tablespoon of the mixture into each mold, and press into bottom. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool.

  3. Make the mousse: Pour orange juice into a small saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin, and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Heat over low heat, stirring, until dissolved. Remove from heat.

  4. Cut one-quarter of one mango into 1/8-inch-thick slices for garnish (halve large slices); cover, and refrigerate. Coarsely chop remaining mangoes. In a blender, puree chopped mangoes, granulated sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. With machine running, add gelatin mixture in a slow, steady stream, and blend until combined. Transfer to a bowl.

  5. With a whisk or an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners' sugar, and beat until soft peaks return. Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the mango mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining whipped cream.

  6. Divide mousse among molds, filling three-quarters full. Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours (up to 1 week).

  7. When ready to serve, let cakes stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Gently push up from bottoms to unmold. Transfer cakes to serving plates; let stand 10 minutes to soften slightly. Serve garnished with mango slices.

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