Mango & Passionfruit Mousse Cake

I recently made a cake of the same name for our Christmas day lunch dessert. You can see how it turned out in this video, or just believe me when I say, it was a major disappointment. Here I was, wanting lusciously airy-mousy layers, and instead I got a coconut slab of chewy-ness. I wasn't at all pleased with the result, nor with how it semi-spoilt Christmas day - ok it wasn't that bad, but it did dampen the mood slightly.

Since then I have been determined to create what I was hoping the recipe would actually turn out like, and voila Honeybunches - here is the absolute goddess of a dessert I was dreaming of! Light and fluffy mango & passion fruit mousse, sandwiched between sweet moist mango sponge - HEAVEN! Yes, the ingredients cost a bit for this one, so maybe save it for ultra-special occasions such as (dare I suggest), Christmas day.

This recipe needs to chill over-night, so make in advance!

Ingredients

Sponge

• 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• Zest & juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup castor sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 mango cheek (a medium-large sized mango, flesh of the cheek)
• 1 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 1/2 cup plain flour (GF or not)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• pinch of salt
  Mousse
• 3 cups natural COYO (750g, could make the cake with 500g - but the more mousse the better I think)
• rest of the mango used in the sponge - flesh only
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp castor sugar
• 2 tbsp refined coconut oil, melted or very soft
  To Assemble
• 6+ passionfruit

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C, and start by making your sponge.
2. In a blender, add the first six Sponge ingredients, down to and including the flesh of the mango cheek. Blend until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining Sponge ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet blended ingredients. Gently whisk together to form a semi-thick batter. Pour into a greased (and lined on the bottom) spring-form 24cm (or 9 1/2 inch) cake tin. Smooth over the top and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until springy to touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, make your Mousse by placing the COYO in a bowl and beating with electric beaters until relatively thick. The odd batch will just become runnier instead of thickening up - which does make your stomach sink - but don't worry!! It will still set, no matter how runny it looks - I promise!!
5. Rinse out your blender and to it add the remaining mango flesh, lemon juice, vanilla, castor sugar and coconut oil. Blend until smooth. Add to the COYO and beat again to combine. Refrigerate until the cake is cool enough to assemble.
6. When the cake has cooled to room temperature, use a long serrated knife to saw all the way through, producing two thinner sponge cakes. Cut both halves into strips (that you can easily re-assemble in the round cake shape), so that the mousse and passionfruit pulp can slightly penetrate the sponge.
7. Assemble one thin sponge cake on the bottom of the same cake tin you cooked it in. Top with a thin layer of passionfruit pulp (minimum 3 passionfruits), so that each sponge top layer has even a smidge of juice on it. Spread over half the mousse (yes it might be incredibly runny, but it WILL set!), repeat with the remaining sponge, topping it with more passionfruit and then spreading over the remaining mousse. Cover with glad wrap (or a plate) and pop in the fridge to set overnight.
8. When ready to serve, run a knife around the sides of the tin and removes the sides of the pan to reveal the cake. Top with more passionfruit pulp if desired and gobble down!!