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Sunshiny Mango Upside Down Cake

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Who doesn’t love mangoes?  I am just crazy for mangoes and many other tropical fruits. From salads to desserts, mangoes deliver, big time.  A great example is this gorgeous, sunshiny, mildly sweet and buttery, super duper delicious Mango Upside Down Cake — a recipe adapted from Feast On The Cheap, the blog that I have been assigned to for this month.  Huh?  Oh, didn’t I tell you? Today is SRC– Secret Recipe Club day!!!

Mango Upside Down Cake

Browsing through Feast On The Cheap’s recipe index, I bookmarked many great recipes.  However, the Orange-Mango Upside Down Cake filled my eyes with its beauty and lusciousness to such a degree that I decided I just had to make a mango upside down cake. 🙂 I am also sick of these dark, cold winter days… I thought that bringing sunshine to my/our plate would be an awesome idea. Well, upside down cakes are highly esteemed in Brazil, with banana upside down cake and pineapple upside down cake being the two most popular.  There, cafezinho (a small cup of our strong coffee) — or sometimes tea– is the preferred accompaniment to enjoy with coffee cakes such as this one.  But if you would like to have yours warm, accompanied by a scoop of ice cream, go right ahead and enjoy! 🙂

Mango Upside Down Cake

Feast On The Cheap is a blog co-authored by mother-and-daughter Mary Ann and Mariel who cook amazing budget-friendly dishes and treats.  Reading their story made me smile because of the many things Mary Ann and I have in common.  Like me, Mary Ann is a mother, caterer, blogger, a member of both the Epicurious community, SRC, and the BlogHer Network. 🙂 She also had another career before starting cooking on a professional level.  It is interesting how two complete strangers have so many things in common.  But the coincidences do not stop here!  Mariel, her daughter and co-author of Feast On The Cheap, grew up in her mother’s kitchen learning “the language of cooking at a young age.”  According to her, “While the neighborhood children were chowing down on hot dogs and burgers, she was taste-testing rack of lamb, Scotch broth and tea sandwiches.”  My two children are also growing up in my kitchen, and my six-year-old already shows great interest in cooking and appreciation for gourmet foods.  Maybe my little girl will be my future co-author one day. 🙂

As always, I have to put my own little spin on the recipe in order to make it my own.   For this reason alone, Mariel’s Orange-Mango Upside Down Cake became simply a Mango Upside Down Cake garnished with pomegranate seeds on top and incorporating mango juice in the batter instead of orange juice.  I also added yogurt to its batter recipe to make it more moist. Although I do love oranges, I thought perhaps exchanging the orange juice for coconut milk or mint tea might be a nifty idea– but in the end winded up adding mango juice.  I would prefer to savor the aphrodisiac taste of this tropical stone fruit, highly appreciated in Brazil, in both the batter and topping.  In cooking, there is a principle: to really emphasize the taste of something, do not stray! So in order to really bring out the taste of the mangoes, I both used the fruit in the topping and mango juice in the batter.  Of course, you are welcome to put your own personal touch(es) on yours, too.

For now, enjoy this sunshiny mango upside down cake.  My smile is as large as my chubby face.  🙂

Mango Upside Down Cake

xx

Mango-upside-down-cake
5 from 10 votes
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Mango Upside Down Cake

A gorgeous, sunshiny, mildly sweet, and buttery mango upside down cake that can be enjoyed by itself, with a cup of coffee/tea, or with a scoop of ice cream.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8
Author Denise Browning

Ingredients

  • For the Topping:
  • 3-4 firm-ripe mangoes peeled**
  • 1/2 lemon or 1 lime
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter about 4 Tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • For the Cake Batter:
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter softened, ½ cup
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 whole large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt
  • ½ cup concentrate mango juice mango nectar, or frozen mango pulp, thawed

Instructions

  1. To prepare the mango topping: Slice mangoes lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove flesh from the halves. Cut into half-inch slivers and place into a medium bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice (to give a touch of acidity to the cake and brighten the mango color) on top and set aside.
  2. In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat, then stir in brown sugar. Simmer, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Without stirring, let cook a little bit more until bubbles start to form around the edges of the mixture (i.e.the sugar begins to caramelize). Spread mixture in the bottom of a buttered 9-inch round baking pan and arrange mango slivers on top in a rose pattern or any other that you wish (Note: It is very important to fill all or most spaces; otherwise topping will not look as pretty as it could (Mine did not have all the spaces filled because only 2 mangoes were used). Then, set aside.
  3. To make the mango upside down cake batter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the 2 whole eggs, one at a time, and then the egg yolk -- beating after each addition. Beat in both the vanilla and yogurt.
  4. Add half of flour mixture, beating at low speed until just combined. Mix in mango juice, then add remaining flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
  5. Spoon the batter over the arranged mango slivers in the cake pan (Be careful not to disturb the mango pattern!!!) and then, spread the batter smooth and even. Bake for 33-37 minutes (dark pan) or 45 - 50 minutes (shiny pan) or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. To unmold the mango upside down cake, run a thin knife gently along the edges of the pan, invert onto a platter, and continue cooling. If desired, garnish top of the mango upside down cake with pomegranate seeds (optional). Serve mango upside down cake slightly warm or at room temperature by itself or with ice cream.

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Comments

    • Denise Browning

      February 17, 2014 at 8:48 am

      My pleasure! I did link to your Orange-Mango Upside Down Cake — initially on bottom of the recipe when I mentioned that the recipe was adapted from Feast On The Cheap. TA few minutes ago, I moved the link to the top of the recipe box. If you do prefer, I can place the link in the post text/article instead. What would you prefer?

      Reply

  6. Deanna Segrave-Daly

    February 17, 2014 at 11:06 am

    These photos are simply gorgeous and totally the sunshine I need this month! Cannot wait to try this recipe because I adore mangos too. This one will help me get through the winter for sure 🙂 (Also fun reading about all the similarities you had with your assigned blogger this month!)

    Reply

    • Denise Browning

      February 17, 2014 at 3:01 pm

      Hi, Lisa! Thanks for stopping by every SRC day. Yes, I also love pineapple upside down cake. This was the first time making it with mango and I loved so much that I do intend to make it again. Wishing you a great week!

      Reply

  9. Gintare @Gourmantine

    February 17, 2014 at 4:05 pm


    You know, this gorgeous cake brought back memories of one tour we had in Brazil, where we could literally pick up mangos from the ground and eat them. Best mangos I’ve ever had 🙂

    Reply

  10. Manu

    February 17, 2014 at 3:35 pm


    I LOVE this! And I love that you made it your own. I think adding yogurt to the batter is a brilliant idea… I often make yogurt cakes and I think they are THE best as they always come out nice and moist!!! And I love your presentation… the photo of the sliced up cake makes me wan to reach for a slice through my screen!!!! Bookmarking it as my husband LOVES mangoes!!! 🙂

    Reply

  11. Sugar et al

    February 17, 2014 at 4:51 pm


    Can’t tell you how much I love mangoes! Eaten them like crazy during my growing up years but now I have to spend quite a bit to get them in Oz. Your cake is beautiful and vibrant. Thank you for the sunshine…it’s been a cloudy week here:-)

    Reply

  13. AnneFromMySweetHeart

    February 17, 2014 at 9:26 pm

    Oh Denise….this cake is just stunning! I love mangoes so much, I need to start baking with them more. This cake looks luscious and moist….and the pomegranates look like jewels! A perfect time of the year here in my dreary winter for a bit of sunshine! : )

    Reply

  23. Aurica

    February 19, 2014 at 8:15 am


    i’m crazy about the mango’s, and more crazy about this mango cake, it’s so creamy, suculent and very sweet..yummmmy 😀

    Reply

    • Denise Browning

      February 19, 2014 at 8:28 am

      Thanks, Liz! That was my intention since I am so looking forward to sunny, warmer days. I just cannot stand to winter anymore… I really had enough of it! 🙂 Having at least a reminder on my plate of spring/summer, it was a comforting !!!

      Reply

  26. Amira

    February 19, 2014 at 3:49 pm

    This is absolutely out of this world. I love love love mangoes. In Egypt we have many kinds most are very sweet,very flavorful and colorful. Thanks for this heavenly cake.

    Reply

  30. Judit & Corina @WineDineDaily

    February 20, 2014 at 5:55 pm


    You truly captured the sunshine with your delicious Mango Upside Down Cake! Love the beautiful photos Denise 🙂
    Cheers,
    J+C

    Reply

  32. Coffee and Crumpets

    February 21, 2014 at 10:16 pm

    I always eat mangoes by themselves but this cake looks wonderful! My grandfather’s house in India used to have mango trees and many other tropical fruit trees. It was so beautiful when everything was blossoming and going. Bright and cheerful like this cake.

    Reply

    • Denise Browning

      February 21, 2014 at 10:30 pm

      Thanks, Nazneen! We had a tall mango in the backyard of the house where I grew up…I remember that it produced mangoes almost year round. I love mangoes since I was a child. My fave variety is called rose mango.

      Reply

  34. Abbe @ Abbe's Cooking Antics

    February 23, 2014 at 4:12 am


    I finally have five minutes to sit down and pour over all the recipes I have missed in recent months and come face to face with this mouth watering dessert! It looks absolutely scrumptious, Denise – you are tempting me away from my diet 😉 xx

    Reply

    • Denise Browning

      April 23, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      Hi, Danielle!
      This cake takes mango juice and sliced mangos. There is no pineapple among its ingredients.
      Ingredients should be incorporated according to the recipe directions/instructions.
      Have a great day!

      Reply

  39. Renee

    November 22, 2017 at 6:19 pm

    Is it just as good if I make it the day before or should it be fresh day of? Can’t wait to try it. Adding a little sunshine to Thanksgiving.

    Reply

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