Mango Cake

Prepare oven and cake pans. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line the bottom of three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Do not grease. Set aside.

Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, sift the cake flour and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

Make the meringue. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until foamy. Then add the cream of tartar and beat on high until the egg whites turn pale white and frothy. While the mixer is running, slowly add ⅓ of the sugar (1/4 cup) one tablespoon at a time until the egg whites reach stiff peaks. To test, when you lift the whisk the egg whites are smooth, moist, shiny, and the tips will stand straight up.

Egg yolk mixture. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the egg yolks, the remaining ⅔ of the sugar (1/2 cup), salt, milk, and vanilla. Beat on high speed until fluffy, and pale yellow. To test, the ribbon should hold for 3-4 seconds.

Add dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture. Add the dry ingredient mixture into the egg yolk mixture in 3 additions and gently fold to incorporate after each batch.

Add the oil to the egg yolk mixture. Take a few spoonfuls of the egg yolk mixture and mix with the oil. Then gently combine the oil mixture with the egg yolk mixture.

Combine meringue with egg yolk mixture. Fold the egg white meringue into the egg yolk mixture in 3 parts, gently folding the batter in an upwards motion in between each addition until no streaks remain. Be careful to not over mix and deflate the batter.

Bake. Divide the cake batter evenly into the 3 parchment-lined 6-inch cake pans and gently tap the pan on your workspace to remove any large air bubbles. Bake cakes for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let chiffon cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the pan and releasing the cakes. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack. Then trim the tops for even layers.

Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. In a large mixing bowl, add the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, beat on high until it thickens and reaches medium-stiff peaks. Chill in the refrigerator until assembly.

Layer the cake. Place the first cake layer down on your cake turntable or work surface. Use an offset spatula to spread a thin even layer of whipped cream on top. Add an even layer of mango chunks on top. Then add another layer of whipped cream on top to fill in the gaps. Repeat with the remaining layers.

Decorate. Add a thin layer of whipped cream over the cake for a crumb coat. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for 15 minutes. Then spread on a final layer of whipped cream. Decorate with a piping bag fitted with a star tip and mango chunks.

Chill. Chill the mango vanilla cake in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before slicing and serving.