Irresistible Strawberry Mango Cake

This is my sunshine cake. Soft, tender vanilla-mango crumb, a tangy-sweet strawberry swirl on top, and a fluffy cloud of whipped cream that feels like you’re getting away with dessert for breakfast. It’s not fussy, it’s not bakery-perfect, but it tastes like a vacation you can eat with a fork.

My husband calls this “birthday cake even when it’s not anyone’s birthday.” The kids pick off the prettiest strawberry pieces and we pretend not to notice. I baked it once on a Thursday and it was mysteriously “gone” by Saturday morning… which is my fault because I left a fork in the pan and, well, that’s an invitation.

How to Make It

Okay, preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan (or an 8×8 pan if that’s the one that’s clean). This makes 10-ish slices. Figure 20 minutes of prep, 30 minutes baking, then let it cool while you make the strawberry situation.

Mash a very ripe mango until smooth (you want about 1/2 cup puree). If it’s stringy, blitz it. In a big bowl, whisk 3/4 cup sugar with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup neutral oil, the mango puree, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In goes 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Whisk just till the flour disappears. If you feel chaotic, fold in a handful of diced mango.

Pour into the pan and bake 28–32 minutes until the top springs back and a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then lift it onto a rack so it doesn’t steam itself into rubber. (We’ve all done it.)

While it bakes, make a quick strawberry compote: toss 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries with 2–3 tablespoons sugar and a squeeze of lemon in a small pot. Simmer 5–7 minutes till juicy, then stir in 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water. Let it bubble 30 seconds to thicken. Cool it down—fridge if you’re impatient like me.

Whipped cream time: beat 4 ounces soft cream cheese with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla till smooth. Stream in 1 cup cold heavy cream and whip to medium peaks. It’s luscious and stable and you’ll want to eat it with a spoon. Save some for the cake.

Assembly is the fun part: swoop the cream on the cooled cake, spoon the strawberry compote over, and swirl it like you meant to make it that pretty. Scatter fresh strawberry slices and little mango cubes if you’ve got them. Slice, serve, and try not to inhale it.

✔Ingredient Notes

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– Mango (ripe): The riper the better—think soft and perfumey. If yours is meh, blend it smooth and add a pinch more sugar to the compote to compensate.
– Strawberries: Fresh is lovely, frozen is totally fine. If using frozen, don’t thaw—just cook with an extra minute on the stove.
– All-purpose flour: Spoon-and-level! Too much flour equals a dry cake. Been there. Crying over crumbs is not the vibe.
– Buttermilk: Tang + tenderness. No buttermilk? Use 1/2 cup milk with 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice and let it sit 5 minutes.
– Neutral oil: Keeps the crumb plush even straight from the fridge. Melted butter works but the cake firms up more.
– Cream cheese: Stabilizes the whipped cream so it holds up on the counter without slumping. Don’t skip unless you love chaos.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F; grease and line a 9-inch round (or 8×8) pan with parchment.
2. Whisk sugar, eggs, oil, mango puree, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; fold into wet just until incorporated.
4. Pour batter into pan and bake 28–32 minutes until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs; cool completely.
5. Simmer strawberries with sugar and lemon 5–7 minutes; thicken with cornstarch slurry and chill.
6. Beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla; stream in cold cream to medium peaks, then spread on cake and swirl with compote.

What to Serve It With

– A big mug of coffee or iced tea—the sweet-tangy thing loves both.
– Toasted coconut flakes for crunch.
– A scoop of vanilla bean or mango sorbet if you’re throwing a little party.
– Fresh mint leaves because we’re extra like that.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Use room-temp eggs so the batter doesn’t seize and get lumpy.
– Don’t overmix once the flour’s in. Stir till it’s just smooth and walk away.
– Bake in the middle rack; too low and the bottom browns before the center sets.
– Cool the compote fully before topping or the cream will slide around like a penguin.
– If your mango is bland, add 1–2 teaspoons lime zest to the batter for a citrusy lift.

✔Storage Tips

Pop leftovers in the fridge, loosely covered, for up to 3 days. The cream stays fluffy and the cake actually gets even more tender. Cold slices are wildly good—like strawberry shortcake’s tropical cousin. For longer storage, freeze unfrosted cake layers up to 2 months; thaw, then add cream and compote fresh. If you insist on freezing assembled slices, wrap well and eat within a month—texture’s still nice, just a bit softer.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– No buttermilk? Milk + lemon juice works. Coconut milk also slaps—richer, slightly denser crumb.
– Gluten-free? Use a good 1:1 baking blend; add 1 extra tablespoon buttermilk if the batter looks thick.
– Dairy-free? Swap oil as written, use coconut milk in the batter, and top with coconut whipped cream instead of dairy.
– Too sweet for you? Cut the cake sugar to 2/3 cup, or sweeten the compote with honey or maple.
– No mango? Use canned mango puree (Alphonso) or even peach puree. Still dreamy.
– Feeling layer-cake fancy? Double the recipe and bake in two 8-inch pans; add extra compote between layers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Irresistible Strawberry Mango Cake

A moist vanilla–mango layer cake studded with juicy strawberries and finished with a billowy whipped cream cheese frosting. Bright, fruity, and perfect for any celebration.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2.5 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
• ▢ 1.5 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2.5 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened room temperature
• ▢ 0.25 cup neutral oil such as canola or vegetable
• ▢ 3 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup mango puree from very ripe mango or canned puree
• ▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice brightens the fruit flavor
• ▢ 1.5 cup diced fresh strawberries pat very dry
• ▢ 1 cup diced ripe mango small dice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for tossing the diced fruit
• ▢ 0.5 cup strawberry jam for filling
• ▢ 8 ounce cream cheese, softened for frosting
• ▢ 1.5 cup heavy cream, cold for frosting
• ▢ 0.75 cup powdered sugar for frosting
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for frosting
• ▢ 0.125 teaspoon fine sea salt for frosting
• ▢ 1 cup fresh strawberries for garnish
• ▢ 1 cup mango slices for garnish

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment; lightly flour the sides.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, beat softened butter with a hand mixer until creamy. Stream in the oil and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and lemon juice.
• Stir together milk and mango puree. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk–mango mixture, beginning and ending with dry. Mix just until combined.
• Toss the diced strawberries and diced mango with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently fold into the batter.
• Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 28 to 35 minutes, until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks and cool completely.
• Make frosting: Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. With mixer running, slowly stream in cold heavy cream; continue beating until thick and billowy. Beat in vanilla and salt.
• Assemble: Place one cake layer on a stand. Spread a thin layer of strawberry jam, then add a generous layer of frosting.
• Top with second layer. Frost the top and sides. Garnish with fresh strawberry halves and mango slices.
• Chill 20 minutes to set the frosting, then slice and serve.

Notes

For the best texture, use very ripe mango for the puree and pat strawberries dry to minimize excess moisture. The cake keeps well refrigerated up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.