Lemon Mango Mousse Cake

Let's be frank: this is not my simplest recipe. Yes, it's long. Yes, it's detailed. Yes, it's a bit fussy. It's however NOT difficult, not hard at all, so don't be intimidated. You can do it! It's very tasty - and it's gluten-free, by the way.

I made it for Easter, and because of that, I chose a mango compote to be the filling. I imagined an oozy, egg yolk effect that didn't quite happen, but it was delicious anyway. Next time, I'll double the cake and the mango filling, to make two cakes instead of one. The lemon mousse recipe makes a LOT so you'll end up with one very high cake.

And you need to plan ahead. The mango filling needs to be frozen beforehand, so it's best to start that two days before serving the cake. The chocolate cake layer needs to cool before it's time to fill it, and the whole cake needs to be in the freezer for at least a few hours. So, my suggestion is to do the mango filling two days ahead, and the rest of the cake the next day, one day before serving. It keeps well though, so you can make it much more in advance.

On the actual day of serving, just thaw it in the fridge for a few hours, and decorate.

Special equipment needed: A 22-cm springform, plastic wrap, a 24-cm springform, overhead plastic, tape, a sugar thermometer, a microwave... and a stand mixer is helpful.

Oh.. and this cake uses Kesella which is a quark, 10%-fat. I imagine you could use something else - ricotta maybe? - but I can't vouch for it.

Lemon Mango Mousse Cake

Mango Compote

250 g mango, cubed
150 ml sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 gelatin sheets

Soak the gelatin in cold water for at least five minutes. Place mango, sugar and lemon in a saucepan and cook for ten minutes. Mix, using a blender or a stick blender, until smooth. Add the gelatin, stir until it's dissolved and pour into a plastic-lined springform tin that's about 20-22 cm in diameter. Freeze.

Chocolate cake

4 egg yolks
45 g sugar
4 egg whites
90 g sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder

Beat egg yolks with the 45 g of sugar until very fluffy. Sieve the cocoa powder and stir in, carefully but thoroughly.

Beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the 90 g of sugar and beat into a shiny meringue. Fold into the chocolate batter. Pour everything in a lined 24-cm springform tin. Bake at 175° for 12-15 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, cut to loosen the cake from the side of the tin, then leave it to fall. (It will - completely.)

Lemon mousse

5 egg yolks
3 lemons (preferably organic and unwaxed)
4 gelatin sheets
600 ml cream (full-fat)
210 g sugar
85 g water
600 g kesella (quark)

Clean the lemons. Zest the peel, and juice them. Set aside 3 tbsp of the juice. Mix the rest, along with the zest, with the quark.

Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Beat the cream into soft and foamy peaks. Beat the egg yolks until foamy, preferably in a stand mixer.

Mix sugar and water (those 85 g) in a small saucepan and heat until it's exactly 122°C. Pour this hot sugar syrup over the foamy egg yolks, while still beating them, and keep beating on medium speed until the mixture is at room temperature.

Remove the gelatin from the water and place in a small bowl with the 3 tbsp of lemon juice that you set aside earlier. Heat on low effect in the microwave - for just a few seconds - until the sheets have melted. Add this to all the other ingredients - the egg yolk mix, the cream and the quark.



Assembly:

When the cake is completely cool, remove it from the tin, clean and dry the tin, and place the cake back again. Tape overhead film to the inside of the tin, to make a collar that goes a few cm higher than the tin itself.

Pour about 1/3 of the mousse onto the cake. Carefully place the frozen mango compote, and cover with the remaining lemon mousse. Place the whole cake in the freezer overnight (or for at least a few hours.)

Remove from the tin while still frozen - you might have to heat the tin itself gently, a hair dryer is great idea. Peel off the overhead sheets, and move the whole cake to a serving platter.

Thaw in the fridge for at least two hours, but preferably longer.

Recipe in Swedish:
Citronmoussetårta med mangokompott