Mango Chiffon Cake

Name: Mango Chiffon Cake
Prep time: 105 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 130 min
Ingredients: 5 large egg whites; 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar; 120 g granulated sugar; 5 large egg yolks; 80 g milk; 50 g oil; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 100 g cake flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 400 g whipping cream; 40 g powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 fresh mangoes (peeled & cubed)

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This mango chiffon cake is made with soft and fluffy chiffon cake and layers of soft whipped cream and fresh mangoes. It’s the ultimate flavour combination for a cake and one of my all-time favourite chiffon cake recipes.

A slice of mango chiffon cake lifted from the cake with a cake server.

This mango chiffon cake is inspired by the cakes from Asian bakeries. They always have chiffon cakes or sponge cakes filled with cream and fresh fruits. I love them because they’re so soft, light, and airy and that’s exactly what this mango cake is like. This cake is absolutely bakery-worthy. You could even choose to decorate it just like how they make cream cakes in bakeries - with fresh fruits on top or completely covered with thin mango slices.

Jump to:

What is chiffon cake?
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredients
How to make a mango chiffon cake
Storage
Freezing
Tips & tricks
Frequently asked questions
Other layer cake recipes to try
Recipe

What is chiffon cake?

Chiffon cake is a light and fluffy cake similar to sponge cake. They’re both leavened mostly by whipping air into the meringue, which makes the cake rise and gives it height. Chiffon cake and sponge cake are both made by folding egg white meringue into an egg yolk mixture but chiffon cake also contains baking powder and oil, which sponge cake does not. This makes chiffon cake richer and more moist than sponge cake.

You’ll often find chiffon cake in most Asian bakeries, usually paired with whipped cream. It’s a classic combination in most cakes and baked goods to cater to an Asian palate, which prefers lighter desserts that aren’t too sweet.

Slice of mango chiffon cake on a speckled plate with a fork.

Why you’ll love this recipe

This mango chiffon cake is so soft and fluffy. It feels like you’re eating a delicious cloud.
This tastes absolutely bakery-worthy, just like how the cakes taste from Asian bakeries.
It’s a great way to use sweet and juicy seasonal mangoes.
This is a great basic recipe that you can use for different flavours. Just switch out the mango for a different fruit or filling or add flavouring into the chiffon cake layers themselves.

Ingredients

Large eggs - Separate the egg whites and the egg yolks into two large mixing bowls. Be sure not to get any of the yolks in the egg whites otherwise they may not whip up properly.
Cream of tartar - This is used to stabilize the egg white meringue so that it whips up to stiff peaks faster.
Granulated sugar - Measure this out into a small bowl so that you can easily add spoonfuls of it to the egg whites during whipping process.
Milk - You can use any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk here - it doesn’t matter. I used oat milk because it’s what I had on hand.
Oil - Use any kind of light tasting oil like vegetable oil or avocado oil.
Vanilla extract - Don’t skip this! It adds so much flavour to the whipped cream.
Cake flour - Light and airy cakes call for cake flour which has less gluten than all-purpose flour.
Baking powder - Most of the leavening comes from the airy meringue but baking powder acts as a backup leavening agent to ensure your cake rises high.
Whipping cream - Use any whipping cream with 30-35% milk fat. Keep this cold until you’re ready to use.
Powdered sugar - We’re using just enough powdered sugar to add some sweetness to the whipped cream. This also helps thicken and stabilize the whipped cream so that it holds it’s structure when used to frost the cake.
Fresh mangoes - Ripe and juicy fresh mangoes work the best here. Peel and cube them into chunks. Use the smaller chunks in between each cake layer and use the larger, nicer chunks to decorate the top of the cake.

How to make a mango chiffon cake

Make the chiffon cake layers

Prep - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 6” cake pans with a round of parchment paper on the bottom. Do not grease the pans. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites - In a large mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Use an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites until they become soft, foamy peaks.

Whip sugar into meringue - Beat in one spoonful of granulated sugar at a time, mixing in between each addition, until all the sugar is added and the meringue becomes stiff peaks that hold their shape when you pull the whisk out of it. Set aside.

Two image collage of beating egg white meringue in a stand mixer.

Make the egg yolk mixture - In a separate large bowl, add in the egg yolks, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Use the same mixer to whisk together until combined. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift in the cake flour and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture. Use a silicone spatula to fold together until smooth and no lumps remain.

Two image collage of mixing and sifting flour into egg yolk mixture.

Fold the batter together - Add half of the egg white meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Fold together until combined. Add the rest of the meringue and fold together until no streaks of batter are visible and the mixture is fluffy and airy.

Three image collage of folding meringue into egg yolk mixture.

Bake cakes - Divide cake batter into your three prepared cake pans. Place a second roasting pan filled with about 1” of hot, freshly boiled water on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake cakes on the middle rack for 20–25 minutes or until the the tops are set and lightly golden brown.

Cool cakes completely - Let cool for at least 20-30 minutes before flipping the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before assembling the cake.

Two image collage of 3 pans of chiffon cakes before and after baking.

Make the whipped cream filling

In a large mixing bowl, add in the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer to beat until it thickens and becomes soft peaks.

Assemble the layer cake

Layer cake, whipped cream, and mangoes - Place your first cake layer down on a cake turntable. Use an offset spatula to spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top. Place down an even layer of mango chunks on top of the whipped cream. Smooth a couple more dollops of whipped cream on top to fill in the gaps between the mangoes and seal them together. Repeat with your remaining cake layers.

Three image collage of spreading whipped cream on top of chiffon cake layer.

Crumb coat - Smooth a thin layer of whipped cream over the entire cake as a crumb coat. Chill the cake in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Three image collage of adding mangoes to cake layer and frosting cake with whipped cream.

Decorate - Spread on a final layer of whipped cream and use a bench scraper to smooth. Decorate your cake with any remaining whipped cream, mango chunks, and herbs (optional).

Three image collage of decorating cake with whipped cream stripes, swirls, and garnishing with mangoes.

Storage

Keep your mango chiffon cake in a sealed cake container or keep leftovers slices in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days but enjoy them as soon as you can.

Freezing

Leftover cake slices can be frozen by wrapping them well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and freezing for up to 1 month.

You can also freeze cake layers before you assemble the cake by wrapping them well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month.

Thaw frozen cake slices or cake layers in the fridge overnight.

Tips & tricks

Making the batter

If you’ve never made chiffon cake or meringue before, working with the egg whites will probably be the trickiest part of this recipe. Essentially, you are whipping up egg whites until they become a stiff and airy meringue and then folding it into the regular batter.

You’ll definitely need a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the egg whites. Add the sugar in slowly, one spoonful at a time, so that it has a chance to dissolve. Whip it until it stands up on its own in little droopy peaks when you pull the mixer out of it. Add the meringue to the egg yolk mixture in 2 additions so that you gradually bring them to the same consistency.

Baking chiffon cake

When baking chiffon cakes, I always use light coloured cake pans and I only line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Never grease the sides of the pan as the cake needs some grip on the pan in order to rise properly.

To keep the cake moist, I like to bake them with a roasting pan filled with an inch of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven. This is optional but I find that the cakes are softer and more moist this way.

Frosting cake with whipped cream

Whipped cream can become grainy if you work with it too much, unlike buttercream which you can mess around with as long as you want. To prevent overworking the whipped cream, I like to whip it just until it becomes soft peaks. It should still be a bit soft and runny but holds its shape.

When applying the whipped cream onto the cake, try to only move it around and run your spatula over it as much as you need. Don’t keep pushing it around over and over.

When applying the final coat of frosting to your cake, try pouring a large amount of whipped cream onto the top of the cake. If it’s runny enough, let it spill over the edges and slide down the sides of the cake. Once it has covered most of the cake, use your spatula to fill in any gaps. Use a bench scraper to smooth the sides and remove the excess whipped cream in just a few movements.

Cake covered with whipped cream and topped with mango chunks sits on a white plate.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between chiffon cake and sponge cake?

Both chiffon cake and sponge cake are made by whipping egg whites into a meringue and then mixing it into an egg yolk mixture but chiffon cake usually also contains baking powder and oil, which gives it a richer texture.

Why does my chiffon cake deflate after baking?

If you chiffon cake deflates, your egg whites may not have been whipped up to the right consistency (stiff peaks). If you used a dark coloured non-stick cake pan, the cake may not have been able to stick on to the sides of the pan and ”climb” up as it was rising during baking.

How do I make this cake with 8” pans?

To make this 6” cake into a 3-layer 8” cake, multiply all the ingredients by 1.8x. If you want to make it extra easy and avoid weird fractions, multiple everything by 2x and use the excess batter to make some muffins or a mini cake. The cakes will bake faster because there is more surface area so bake for about 5 minutes less but use visual cues to determine when it’s done.

Other layer cake recipes to try

Recipe