This light and airy mango mousse cake features a buttery graham cracker crust and easy five-ingredient mousse!
Smooth and creamy mango mousse nestled in a buttery graham cracker crust — this simple and elegant showstopper is bursting with fresh flavor! It’s also surprisingly easy to whip up and, apart from 10 minutes in the oven for the crust, this mousse cake requires no baking!
making mango puree
One of the five ingredients you’ll need for the mango mousse is mango puree. And while you can find mango puree at some grocery stores (often marketed as mango pulp), I find it just as easy to make my own. To make mango puree:
- Blend mango chunks in a high-powered blender until completely smooth.
- Stir in lime juice and sugar. Make sure to adjust the sugar to taste, as sweetness will vary.
using fresh mango
If I’m honest, I rarely make the mango puree with fresh mango as there’s not a huge difference in taste compared to frozen. But if you do decide to go the fresh route, here are a few tips:
- Most varieties of mango will blend well.
- Make sure to look for mangoes that are soft and ripe, without any blemishes or bruises.
- If you need a little tutorial on how to best cut a mango, make sure to check out this step-by-step guide.
using frozen mango chunks
Frozen mangoes are my preferred method for this mousse cake! If using frozen mango, allow to thaw in the fridge overnight and then drain any excess liquid before pureeing until smooth.
While any brand of frozen mango will work, I will say that I’ve found Trader Joe’s frozen mango chunks to provide the most intense mango flavor.
the mango mousse
Now onto the mango mousse, which can be finished up in two easy steps.
- Add gelatin to the mango puree so the mousse will set.
- Fold the mango puree into homemade whipped cream.
working with gelatin
To set the mousse you’ll need one envelope of powdered gelatin, which is ¼ ounce or about 7 grams. First fill a microwave safe bowl with ¼ cup (60 ml) of water. Then sprinkle the gelatin over the top and allow to sit for about five minutes. This step is called blooming the gelatin.
You’ll notice that your gelatin is a bit lumpy so before we add it to the puree, we’ll microwave it until the gelatin has completely dissolved. You should only need 15-30 seconds in the microwave here. We don’t want the gelatin to boil as that can affect its strength.
Once the gelatin is fully dissolved, let it cool for a minute and then stir it into the mango puree. Having no lumps in the gelatin is very important. If you have a few little lumps that just won’t dissolve, simply pour the gelatin mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
homemade whipped cream
And the last step is to make the whipped cream. For this you’ll need just heavy cream and an electric mixer. Start on low speed and increase to high as the heavy cream becomes more firm. Then continue beating until stiff peaks form. A few tips to make this step easier: make sure your heavy cream is cold and chill the bowl and beaters for at least 15 minutes before whipping.
To fold in the mango puree, start by adding half the mixture to the whipped cream. Use a spatula to scrape along the bottom of the bowl and gently scoop the mixture over the top. Repeat until incorporated and then add the second half of the mango puree.
making the cake
Putting together this mango mousse cake is as simple as making the graham cracker crust and pouring in the mousse!
To make the graham cracker crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Pour the mixture into a greased 7-inch springform pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool completely.
Next, pour in the mango mousse and use a spatula to smooth the top. Then just refrigerate until set! This will usually take at least three hours.
mango mousse cake: FAQs
This cake will keep in the fridge covered for 3-4 days.
Freezing the mousse cake will slightly alter the texture. It will still be creamy and delicious, but may lose a bit of lightness. To thaw, let the mousse cake sit in the fridge for several hours.
Make sure to line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. This should ensure that your graham cracker crust releases easily from the pan.
If you’d prefer that more of the mango mousse shows, you can skip pressing the crust into the sides of the pan. In this case, I suggest lining the sides of the pan with greased parchment paper or using an acetate cake collar.
For more of our favorite desserts bursting with fresh fruit flavor, make sure to check out these recipes!
- mini lemon meringue cheesecakes
- fruit tartlets with mascarpone cream
- marzipan fruit rolls
- guava cupcakes + guava frosting
easy mango mousse cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8
Description
This light and airy mango mousse cake features a buttery graham cracker crust and easy five-ingredient mousse!
Ingredients
graham cracker crust
- graham cracker crumbs 1.5 cups (180 g)
- sugar 2 tbsp (25 g)
- butter 5 tbsp (70 g)
mango mousse
- mango puree* 1.5 c (350 g)
- lime juice 2 tbsp
- sugar ¼ c (50 g)
- powdered gelatin ¼ oz (7 g)
- (1 envelope)
- water ¼ c (60 ml)
- heavy cream 1 c (240 ml)
assembly
- whipped cream to top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320 F (160 C). Line the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the pan.
- Make graham cracker crust. In a small bowl combine the finely crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter. Mix until completely coated. Pour the mixture into the pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool.
- Prepare the mango puree. Combine the mango puree, lime juice and sugar. Set aside for at least 15 minutes, stirring several times to dissolve the sugar.
- Bloom the gelatin: Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Microwave the gelatin for 15 seconds, then stir. Repeat until the gelatin has completely dissolved*. Let cool slightly and then stir into the mango puree.
- Make the whipped cream. Use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Start on low speed and gradually increase to high as the cream begins to thicken.
- Add half of the mango puree to the whipped cream. Use a spatula to gently fold the mango puree into the whipped cream until combined. Repeat with the second half of puree.
- Pour the mousse into the cooled graham cracker crust. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until the mousse is set. Release the springform clasp and remove the outer ring of the pan.
- Serve with whipped cream if desired.
Notes
Mango puree: To make mango puree, blend fresh mango chunks in a blender until smooth. If using frozen mango chunks, allow to thaw in the fridge, drain any excess liquid and blend.
Gelatin: Having no lumps in the gelatin is very important. If you have a few little lumps that just won’t dissolve, simply pour the gelatin mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
- Category: desserts
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: global
Keywords: mango mousse cake, mousse cake
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3 comments
★★★★★
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! This mango mousse cake is very airy and not too sweet. Perfect! I used frozen mangos, but 350grams drained somehow does not turn out to be 2.5 cups of purée. So I blitzed more frozen mangos to have 2.5 cups for the recipe. I only used half the crust recipe for the bottom (not going up the sides) of my 6-inch tin, all other ingredients at full portion. The finished cake is about 2.5 inches tall.
★★★★★
Hi Constance! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try – I’m glad you liked it! 🙂