Recipe: Mango Buttercream Cake (Better Homes and Gardens)

MANGO BUTTERCREAM CAKE

"Our test kitchen has been known to dress up a cake mix or two during its day, but this has to be one of the all-time greatest dazzlers in the "fix an mix" category. Start with your favorite two-layer cake, then slather it with luscious mango buttercream and frame it with cookies. Talk about a showstopper!"

FOR THE MANGO BUTTERCREAM:
1 1/2 cups canned sweetened mango puree (or homemade*)
1 cup sugar
6 beaten egg yolks, at room temperature
3 tablespoons orange liqueur or apricot brandy
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
FOR THE CAKE:
2 (9-inch or 10-inch) layers white cake, cooled
Pirouette cookies (36 to 50 cookies, depending on size of cake)
Mandarin orange segments (optional, for decorating)
Chopped pistachio nuts (optional, for decorating)

TO MAKE THE MANGO BUTTERCREAM:
In a large heavy saucepan gently simmer mango puree over medium-low heat until puree is reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

Stir sugar into mango puree. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into beaten egg yolks. Return all of the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in liqueur or brandy.

Pour mango mixture into a bowl; cool to room temperature. (To cool quickly, place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water; stir occasionally.)

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Pour cooled mango mixture into beaten butter. Beat until combined. Remove 3/4 cup of the buttercream.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Using a serrated knife, split each cake layer in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer half on a plate. Frost with about 1/2 cup of the buttercream. Repeat with 2 more cake layer halves and 1 cup more of the mango buttercream. Top with the last cake layer half. Spread remaining buttercream on top and sides of the cake layers. Lightly press cookies vertically around the sides of the cake into buttercream. The cookie ends should be even with the bottom of the cake. The tops of the cookies should extend beyond height of cake. Tie cookies with a long fancy ribbon to secure.

Spoon reserved 3/4 cup buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe buttercream into small mounds on top of the cake. Chill cake or serve immediately.

BEFORE SERVING:
Arrange mandarin orange segments in the center of the cake; sprinkle nuts in center and around edge of cake, if desired.

*TO MAKE THE MANGO PUREE:
Use 1 (24 ounces) jar mango slices in light syrup (or peel 3 to 4 ripe mangoes - a mango is ripe when it gives off a fruity aroma - cut around the seed to remove; peel and chop fruit). In a covered blender container or food processor bowl puree the mangoes, one-third at a time, until smooth. You should have 1 1/2 cups pureed fruit. Continue as directed above, cooking puree to reduce it to 1 cup.

Makes 12 servings
Source: Test Kitchen Favorites: 75 Years of Recipes Too Good To Be Forgotten by Better Homes and Gardens, 2003

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