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I wanted to make an Eid dessert that felt personal to me. As a child, I never reached for the mithai, but there was always this one cool aunty who would bring this big trifle dish of mango mousse. That was the only dessert I would run to eat. I wanted to recreate that cool-aunty mango mousse but in my own way. Read more about Noreen's story here.
For the Cake:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cardamom pods
- zest of 1 lime
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup mango puree, from 1-2 ripe mangoes
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 Tbsp confectioners sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- toppings: fresh mango slices, chopped pistachios, lime zest, edible gold leaf, edible flowers
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease Little Hottie (or an 8x8 dish).
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a whisk.
- Beat in the eggs and whisk until ribbony.
- Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Switch to a wooden spoon and mix the batter until it just comes together.
- Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods (discard the pods) and pound in a mortar & pestle until it reaches a coarse powder texture.
- Add the cardamom powder and lime zest to the batter and mix until incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to the Little Hottie and bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake is set and a tester releases clean.
- Let cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Peel and dice the mangoes discarding the seed and add to a food processor.
- Process until smooth and no visible chunks remain.
- Transfer the mango purée to a fine mesh sieve and strain to remove any residual pulp. Discard the pulp and set the purée aside.
- In a stand mixer or by hand, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the mango puree into the whipped cream until incorporated.
- Spread the mango cream evenly on the cake.
- Decorate the cake with fresh mango slices, chopped pistachios, lime zest, edible gold leaf, and edible flowers.
