Mango Raspberry Cake

Summer is in the air with this gorgeous raspberry mango cake. Your day will be brightened by the pink and orange hues and fruity flavours of this delightful treat, with its layers of raspberry cake and mango Swiss meringue buttercream.

Mango raspberry cake recipe

Total time: 3 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients

Cake

2 and 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 cup freeze-dried raspberry powder (you can buy freeze-dried raspberries, put them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to pulverise them)
2 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
5 large egg whites at room temperature
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cup whole milk
fuchsia coloured gel, optional 

Swiss meringue buttercream

6 large egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups (4 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature
6 tbsp freeze-dried mango powder. You can buy freeze-dried mangoes, put them in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to pulverise them
fuchsia coloured gel, optional
orange coloured gel, optional

Instructions

Bake the cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk the cake flour, raspberry powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl, if using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the sugar and oil until the batter becomes pale, about 2-3 minutes.

Slowly add the egg whites, one at a time, while the mixer is on low speed. Then add the vanilla.

Alternatively, combine the dry ingredients and milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. If desired, now is the time to add your gel colouring.

Distribute the batter evenly among the 3 prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes in your preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Swiss meringue buttercream

While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream.

Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine well. 

Put the bowl over a smaller bowl filled about 1/4 with water. Turn the stove on high and bring the water to a boil. Continue mixing the egg whites as the water boils. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue mixing until your egg white mixture reaches 160°F/70°C. 

Place the stand mixer bowl into your mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until the mixture cools down to room temperature and the mixture appears glossy and stiff peaks begin to form.

Slowly add the butter to the mixer at medium speed. Once all the butter has been incorporated, run the mixer on high until the buttercream becomes fluffy. Do not be alarmed if your frosting appears runny. Put the bowl in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, then beat it again with your mixer.

Once the frosting is light and fluffy, you can colour it as you wish. Place half of the buttercream in a separate bowl. Stir in the mango powder and orange gel colouring. Add the raspberry powder and the fuchsia gel colouring to the other half.

Build your cake

On a plate, place one cake layer. Decorate with 2/3 cup frosting. Top with another cake layer, and add another layer of frosting. Top with the final layer of cake.

To create an ombre effect on the cake, cover the bottom third of the sides of the cake with the raspberry frosting. Combine 1/2 of each raspberry and mango frosting, and then spread on the middle third of the side of the cake. Cover the top third of the side of the cake with mango frosting. Smooth the sides or create ripples with a large spatula.

In a circular pattern, outline the outer-most edge of the cake with raspberry frosting. Add the mixed frosting next, and then the mango coloured in the centre. Smooth the top or create ripples with a spatula.

You can also add decorative elements with frosting flowers, freeze-dried or fresh raspberries, or leftover mango or raspberry powder.