Mango Mousse Cake

Recipe originally featured on FoodToLove.co.nz

Light and full of bold tropical flavours, this soft mousse cake has a melt-in-the-mouth texture with a healthy, crunchy base

Ingredients

Base

  • 1/2 cup dried coconut
  • 3/4 cup brazil nuts (or dried sprouted buckwheat for a nut-free base)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup gluten-free oats
  • 3/4 cup pitted dates
  • 1/4 cup sultanas
  • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil

Mango and pineapple mousse

  • 3 1/4 cups ripe mango, chopped, plus extra slices, to decorate
  • 3/4 cup ripe pineapple, chopped
  • 1/3 cup raw agave, raw honey or coconut nectar (or 1/2 cup, depending on sweetness of fruit)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup melted coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp cacao butter, melted
  • fresh passionfruit pulp, to decorate
  • edible flowers, to decorate

Steps

  1. To make the base, blend the coconut into flour in a food processor. Add the brazil nuts, lemon zest, oats and a pinch of salt and process into flour. Add the dates and sultanas and blend to a fine couscous-like consistency. Lastly add the coconut oil and pulse for 15 seconds.
  2. Line a cake tin with plastic wrap and firmly press the coconut base into the tin evenly. Put the base in the fridge while you prepare the mousse.
  3. In a high-speed blender, blend the mango, pineapple, agave, lemon juice, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and the vanilla until smooth. Lastly add the coconut oil and cacao butter and blend for 10-15 seconds (no more than 20 seconds or it will be over-processed).
  4. Pour the mousse on top of the base. Cover with plastic wrap and either put in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for 2-3 hours to set.
  5. The cake is best served straight from the fridge as it’s easier to cut (the mousse is quite soft; if you want something firmer, add more coconut oil and cacao butter to the recipe).
  6. Serve topped with extra slices of fresh mango, passionfruit pulp and a scattering of edible flowers. This cake will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge or for a few weeks in the freezer.