I know at first you thought I was making a tiramisu but trust me there is another dessert very similar to it and that is crema de mangga. If you make it with seasonal mangoes that makes it no less than a royal dessert.
Note: Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours before serving. That way the moisture from the cream filling will be absorbed by the sponge cookies and it will perfectly set. Unfortunately, I was running out of time as I had to wind up so I couldn't let it rest in the fridge for longer which is what you can see at the end of the video. But trust me, mine became perfect by the end of the day.
MEK Crema de Mangga
For the sponge cookies:
6 egg whites at room temperature
6 tbsp sugar
⅛ tsp cream of tartar -optional
6 egg yolks at room temp
¼ c sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour- 160 g
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt
Confectioner sugar for dusting on top
For the filling:
Make the roux(cornstarch paste) first.
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups heavy whipping cream- chilled
6 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
Vanilla
4 Oz. cream cheese at room temp
1 ½ cups fresh mango puree
The baking temperature is 350 F.
Combine egg whites and sugar and start whisking. Whisk till you see large bubbles then add cream of tartar. Continue whisking till you reach soft peaks and then eventually stiff dry peaks.
Combine yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk it well. Whisk it till it becomes double in volume and very pale. Now add it to the egg whites whisked mixture.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a sifter and start sifting it over the bowl of the egg mix. Sift it on top of it in two batches and gently fold after each addition.
When folding, switch to a flat spatula and don't over-mix. Fold the mixture till you see no more dry flour. Now transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a large round tip. Pipe the cookies 1.5 inches apart on a parchment-lined tray. Dust the cookies with powdered sugar and bake them for 20 minutes in the center of the oven.
If you are baking in two trays then make sure you switch the tray's position halfway through and give it an extra 3-4 minutes. Remember to take them out while still a bit soft to the touch and remove them quickly from the oven.
Now let's make the mango cream filling.
Combine the ½ cup cream with 1 tbsp cornstarch in a saucepan and whisk the two well. Put the saucepan on the low heat and keep whisking it. Cook it till it becomes thick. Remove it from heat and pass it through a strainer to remove any lumps. Let it cool completely before adding it to the rest of the cream mix.
Combine the rest of the cream with condensed milk and vanilla and whisk but stop whisking it just before the soft peaks form. Now add the roux mix and the soft cream cheese to it and whisk it again. Till it reaches the stiff peaks stage. Add the mango puree to it and mix it.
Start layering the cream filling with the sponge cookies. Continue by spreading 1⁄2 cup of the filling in the bottom of the serving dish. Make three layers of cookies alternating with the cream filling. Garnish the top with freshly sliced mangoes and sprinkle some coconut flakes on top. Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving. Enjoy now!