Pre-pandemic, I was making these mousse cakes for a local restaurant. I hope once things open back up completely, I’ll be supplying them again. This dessert is light and refreshing, perfect for warmer weather. I added white chocolate, pistachio and coconut shavings to the top in addition to the fruit, but any fresh fruit will do.

Editor’s Note: Susan recommends using Ratna Alphonso Mango Pulp,  a full flavored mango puree that also gives beautiful color to the dessert (available here). She has  tried making her own puree from frozen mango, but it doesn’t compare to this puree. She recommends Les Vergers Boiron brand as a good alternative. If you don’t have sheet gelatin, swap out 1 sheet for 1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin and use water included in the recipes to bloom.

Makes 8 three-inch cakes

Ingredients

Genoise Cake

• 6 large eggs (300 grams), room temperature
• ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Grand Marnier liqueur
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cup plus 2 ½ tablespoons (150 grams) all-purpose flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (90 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• Simple syrup

Mango Mousse

• 3 sheets gold gelatin
• 2 ¾ cups (530 grams) mango puree*
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) water
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Grand Marnier liqueur
• 1 heaping tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream

Mango Gelee

• 2 sheets gold gelatin
• 1 cup (200 grams) mango puree
• 3 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon (40 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (20 grams) water

Instructions

Make the Genoise:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F on the convection setting, if available. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Combine the eggs, sugar, Grand Marnier and orange zest in a bowl; set over a bain-marie, whisking until frothy and warm.

3. Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with whisk and whip at high speed to ribbon stage.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt and sift.

5. Once the egg mixture has tripled in volume, gently fold in sifted flour with a spatula. Remove a large scoop of the batter and place in a separate bowl. Whisk in the melted and cooled butter and gently fold back into the rest of the batter. This helps prevent deflating the batter!

6. Deposit the batter onto a prepared half sheet pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the cake is light golden brown and springs back. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

7. Use a 3-inch round cutter and cut 8 genoise rounds from the half sheet. You can cut more and freeze for later.

8. Line eight 3-inch stainless steel rings with acetate; placing the genoise rounds on the bottom. Brush with simple syrup to keep moist while you make the mousse.

Make the Mango Mousse:

9. Bloom the gelatin sheets in cold water.

10. Combine the mango puree, water, Grand Marnier and sugar in small saucepan, bringing to low boil.

11. Squeeze excess water from the gelatin, then add to hot mango mixture, stirring to dissolve completely; allow to cool.

12. Whip the heavy cream to medium peaks and fold into cooled mango mixture.

13. Place in piping bag with no tip; pipe mango mousse over the moistened genoise, leaving about ¼ inch from the top of the acetate/stainless steel ring. Refrigerate until slightly set, about 1 hour.

Make the Mango Gelee:

14. Bloom gelatin sheets in cold water.

15. In a small saucepan, bring half the puree, all the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan.

16. Squeeze excess water from bloomed gelatin and stir into the hot mango mixture.

17. Add the remaining mango puree and transfer the mixture to a bowl; cool to room temperature.

18. Once the mango mousse has set in the stainless-steel rings, carefully pour the mango gelee over the mousse in an even layer. Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. Serve with fresh mango or your choice of fruit.