Photo by:

Alex Lau

My lola made this chiffon cake— akin to Taisan but layered with fresh, ultra-ripe mango, and a Red Ribbon Bakeshop classic—for many birthdays, in many shapes: sheets, rounds, dramatic tiers. My mom made it, too, and devoted serious time to decorating, drawing from a suitcase full of vintage piping tips and pillars.

My version is humbler: I adorn it with nothing more than sunflower petals, a nod to my mom’s other great hobby, floral arranging. (Be sure to use organic flowers that haven’t been exposed to pesticides, or look for other edible flowers at the market or online—or be like my mom and freestyle your own decoration.)

You want the ripest fruit, preferably a Manila mango from the Philippines (which the government has officially christened the Manila Super Mango) or a Mexican Ataulfo (also known as champagne mango), descended from Manilas brought over by Spanish galleons. The whippedcream frosting gets a little cream cheese, to keep it from deflating and give the cake a touch of salt.

(Note: There’s no sugar in the frosting, because I think the sweetness of the chiffon and the mango is enough, but you’re welcome to adjust to your taste.) And I add a swirl of turmeric to half the cake batter, for a tie-dye effect. It brings a subtle earthiness—and is good for you, too.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
10 medium eggs, cold, separated into whites and yolks
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cups (400g) Madhur Jaggery or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kaveri Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Pragati Turmeric
1 very ripe mango
2 tablespoons cream cheese, cold
1 pint (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
Food-safe sunflower petals or other cake decorations of your choice (optional)

Methods

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Take out two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake layer tins. (Or a 10 by 12-inch/25 by 30.5-cm baking tray, if you’d prefer to make a single sheet cake.) Brush the inside of the tins with the melted butter, then dust with flour, gently shaking and tapping the tins so the flour infiltrates each corner. Remove any excess flour—which might otherwise clump on the surface of the cake—by flipping the tins over and tapping a few times.
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together the egg whites on low until frothy, then whisk in the lemon juice and 1 cup (200 g) of the sugar and increase the speed to high. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. The peaks should be shiny and hold their shape when you stop the mixer and pull out the whisk.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks, ¼ cup (60 ml) water, and the vanilla extract until creamy and smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup (200 g) sugar. With a clean whisk, in another mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 cups all-purpose flour, breaking down any lumps. Switch to a rubber spatula and add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the flour-yolk mixture, adding only one-third of the whites at a time and being careful not to overmix. (You don’t want to lose the air bubbles you just worked into the whites, which will keep the cake light and fluffy.)
Divide the cake batter evenly between two bowls. In one bowl, gently stir in the turmeric until suffused and golden. In the buttered and floured cake tins, alternate pouring in a cup or ladle of plain batter then golden batter, to make a “tie dye” design, until you’ve used all the batter.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester slipped into the center comes out clean. The cakes will have browned and risen. Run a butter knife along the edges of the tins before carefully inverting over a cooling rack. Let rest for 20 minutes, or until completely cool.
While the cake layers are cooling, cut the mango into slices about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, then prepare the icing. In a mixer with a whisk attachment, start by whisking the cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whisk for 6 to 8 minutes, until whipped and airy.
Once the cakes are cooled, arrange the first cake layer on a serving plate with the flat bottom side facing up. Tuck strips of parchment paper under the circumference of the cake, to protect the plate from any wayward icing. Mash one-half of the mango slices in a bowl and mix in one-third of the icing, then spread evenly with a spatula over the top of the cake. (For a simpler cake, just ice the top, then lay the mango slices whole on the iced surface, or else save all the mango for decorating the second layer.)
Stack the second cake layer, bottom side up, on the first. With the two layers now merged into a single cake, use a spatula to smear and smooth the remaining icing over the top and sides. Remove and discard the parchment strips. Adorn the cake with the remaining mango slices and fresh sunflower petals—or decorate any way you please.

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Angela & Ligaya's Mango-Turmeric Chiffon Cake

Recipe by: Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan, authors of Filipinx: Heritage Recipes from the Diaspora

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
10 medium eggs, cold, separated into whites and yolks
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cups (400g) Madhur Jaggery or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kaveri Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Pragati Turmeric
1 very ripe mango
2 tablespoons cream cheese, cold
1 pint (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
Food-safe sunflower petals or other cake decorations of your choice (optional)

Methods

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Take out two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake layer tins. (Or a 10 by 12-inch/25 by 30.5-cm baking tray, if you’d prefer to make a single sheet cake.) Brush the inside of the tins with the melted butter, then dust with flour, gently shaking and tapping the tins so the flour infiltrates each corner. Remove any excess flour—which might otherwise clump on the surface of the cake—by flipping the tins over and tapping a few times.
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat together the egg whites on low until frothy, then whisk in the lemon juice and 1 cup (200 g) of the sugar and increase the speed to high. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. The peaks should be shiny and hold their shape when you stop the mixer and pull out the whisk.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks, ¼ cup (60 ml) water, and the vanilla extract until creamy and smooth. Add the remaining 1 cup (200 g) sugar. With a clean whisk, in another mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 cups all-purpose flour, breaking down any lumps. Switch to a rubber spatula and add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the flour-yolk mixture, adding only one-third of the whites at a time and being careful not to overmix. (You don’t want to lose the air bubbles you just worked into the whites, which will keep the cake light and fluffy.)
Divide the cake batter evenly between two bowls. In one bowl, gently stir in the turmeric until suffused and golden. In the buttered and floured cake tins, alternate pouring in a cup or ladle of plain batter then golden batter, to make a “tie dye” design, until you’ve used all the batter.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester slipped into the center comes out clean. The cakes will have browned and risen. Run a butter knife along the edges of the tins before carefully inverting over a cooling rack. Let rest for 20 minutes, or until completely cool.
While the cake layers are cooling, cut the mango into slices about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, then prepare the icing. In a mixer with a whisk attachment, start by whisking the cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly pour in the heavy cream and whisk for 6 to 8 minutes, until whipped and airy.
Once the cakes are cooled, arrange the first cake layer on a serving plate with the flat bottom side facing up. Tuck strips of parchment paper under the circumference of the cake, to protect the plate from any wayward icing. Mash one-half of the mango slices in a bowl and mix in one-third of the icing, then spread evenly with a spatula over the top of the cake. (For a simpler cake, just ice the top, then lay the mango slices whole on the iced surface, or else save all the mango for decorating the second layer.)
Stack the second cake layer, bottom side up, on the first. With the two layers now merged into a single cake, use a spatula to smear and smooth the remaining icing over the top and sides. Remove and discard the parchment strips. Adorn the cake with the remaining mango slices and fresh sunflower petals—or decorate any way you please.