A spooky spiced Halloween cake with hidden mangoes
One of my favorite mango flavors is a fall-inspired combination of caramelized mango and warm spices. In developing mango recipes, I’ve discovered that they’re incredibly complex in flavor (aren’t we all?). While most people think “tropical” when they think of mangoes, these bright, floral, honey-sweet fruits depending on the variety and ripeness all have slightly spicy undertones which can be coaxed out or enhanced with simple techniques chefs use every day in drawing out flavor. The natural sugars in mangoes caramelize when cooked—something I discovered years ago while developing Crespo Organic Kitchen’s mango caramel as well as my favorite mango dulce de leche (Mango Milk Candy). This brings out richer, deeper flavors not common in a fresh mango that tastes very “pumkinesque”—perfect for fall, especially when paired with maple, ginger, and pie spices.
Cooking with fruit is still somewhat uncharted territory globally, but as we fuse more recipes, cultures, and techniques, we move away from cookie-cutter results and toward more exciting, delicious creations. This is how my mango spiced cake was initially born. It started off as a Thanksgiving cake and now I have turned it into a spooky and fun Halloween cake by adding additional caramelized warmth in the form of torched Swiss Meringue frosting with candy eyes that evoke the trapped ghost fun.
Swiss meringue is a type of meringue that involves gently heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler while whisking constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes warm. Once the sugar has dissolved, the mixture is whipped until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. It’s much easier than it looks.
The key to Swiss meringue is the gentle heating process, which ensures that the sugar dissolves completely and the egg whites reach a warm temperature before being whipped. This creates a stable, smooth meringue with a creamy texture that holds shape.
Swiss meringue has a smooth, silky texture and a delicate, sweet flavor. Because the sugar is dissolved in the egg whites before whipping, it creates a meringue that is less grainy than French meringue and not overly sweet. The taste is light and airy, with a clean sweetness.. When torched, it develops a slight crispness on the outside while remaining soft and marshmallow-like inside. Its subtle flavor lets the spiced mango cake shine!
You will need a kitchen torch for this recipe. There are several options many of which are economical and super easy to use.
Makes 1 big cake
For the cake:
1 tablespoon butter
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground all spice
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup sugar
1 cup thick mango puree
¾ cup olive oil
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dried currants (optional)
¾ cup chopped mangoes, cubed small
For the Swiss meringue:
1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 7 eggs) at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Mango Pie Spice or store bought
Candy Eyes for decoration
Directions
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 340°F. Grease a 9-10 inch round cake pan with butter.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, mango purée, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Gently fold in the currants and chopped mango.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 90 -100 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too much before it’s fully cooked, cover the top loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning.
For the Swiss meringue frosting:
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring about an inch or two of water to a simmer. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt, and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir continuously with a rubber spatula until the mixture is hot and the sugar has fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, attach it to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and beat on high speed for 5-7 minutes, until the meringue is thick, glossy, and forms stiff peaks that hold. Add in the vanilla and pie spice, then give the meringue a few more whirls in the mixer to blend.
Using a metal cake spatula, spread a thick, even layer of meringue over the cake. To create ghost-like curls, take a blob of meringue between your fingers, press it against the frosted cake, and pull it away to form a wispy curl. The thicker the blob, the larger the curls will be. Do this all over the cake using up all the remainder of the frosting.
Once the cake is fully decorated with the meringue curls, hold a kitchen blowtorch a few inches from the surface, letting the tip of the flame lightly touch the meringue. Keep the torch moving to prevent burning the frosting. As the tips of the curls catch fire, blow them out. The charred edges create a lovely contrast and add a wonderful flavor.
Finish the cake by adding candy eyes around the meringue curls to give it a playful, ghostly look.
No Comments