“Everyone loves this cake.”

When my Aunt Tina and I baked this cake together, I asked her how the mango cake stacked up against her pantheon of vintage cakes. The mango cake, even though it doesn’t sounds like an instant crowd pleaser the way Funfetti or Dark Chocolate does, simply makes everyone happy. It’s not too sweet, has a bit of zip from the orange rind and cream cheese frosting, and of course there are chunks of fresh mango bursting from the middle. She’s tried this cake with ripe peaches or pineapple, and that’s just fine, but the mango is somehow the favorite.

Served with a cup of coffee with plenty of milk, this is such a special unique cake. Also, I have to mention this, it’s the introduction of “the buttermilk cake” which is basically the mother cake recipe of the Thomas family. Found on the back of a Knudson carton decades ago, Tina has used this recipe for most of her cakes – and honestly, it’s a perfect vanilla cake. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (BUTTERMILK CAKE):

For 2 layers of cake

2 1/4 cups of sifted cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup of room temperature butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla.

Add a third of the dry ingredients, followed by a third of the buttermilk, beating well. Repeat until the dry ingredients and buttermilk are all in the batter. Mix everything 1 more minute.

Pour batter into 9 inch round pans and bake for about 20-25 min. Cool the cakes completely.

Place one of the cake rounds onto a cake plate. Cover the cake layer with the mango whipped cream, and top with the second cake round.  Smooth the cream cheese frosting just on top of the top layer, and sprinkle with coconut flakes.

INGREDIENTS (MANGO WHIPPED CREAM):

2 cups of whipping cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups chopped mango

DIRECTIONS:

Whip the cream until very soft peaks form, then add the sugar. Keep beating until stiff and the sugar is dissolved. Fold mango into the cream.

INGREDIENTS (FROSTING):

8 ounces cream cheese, softened and totally room temperature

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and totally room temperature

pinch kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/4 cup orange juice

2 cups powdered sugar (but have an extra cup in case you want to thicken it further)

1/2 cup toasted coconut, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Cream the cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment until light and a little fluffy, for 1-2 minutes, or until combined. Careful not to overbeat! Add the pinch of salt, vanilla extract, orange zest, and orange juice and beat until combined. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar. Keep beating until smooth and spreadable.